Moderate quake rattles western Iran

TEHRAN, Iran – A 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the country’s western province of Kermanshah, state TV reported Sunday.

The temblor rocked the Kurdish town of Sarpol-e-Zahab, which was one of the areas that suffered extensive damage from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in November that killed 600 people.

Semi-official ISNA news agency said at least 37 people suffered minor injuries, 27 of them were transferred to hospital and released after outpatient treatment.

The earthquakes struck at a depth of eight kilometres (5 miles), with no damage or casualties.

Iran sits on major fault lines and is prone to near-daily earthquakes. In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people.