Tasnim � An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale hit Iran�s southeastern province of Kerman, causing material damage and leaving some 79 people injured.


According to the Seismological Center of the Institute of Geophysics of Tehran University, the tremor struck at around 01:09 a.m. local time on Monday and its epicenter was placed about 19 kilometers of the village of Sirch at the depth of 10 kilometers.

Mohammad Hossein Yazdanpanah, an official with the county of Shahdad in Kerman Province, said the earthquake had left no casualties, adding that rescue teams have been sent to help.

However, Seyed Mohammad Saberi, the head of the province�s medical emergency center, later said that 79 people have been taken to hospitals in Kerman following the strong quake.

The quake came hours after an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted Iran's western province of Kermanshah in which over 240 people were injured.

Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major fault lines that cover at least 90% of the country. As a result, earthquakes in Iran occur often and are destructive.