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Quake injures 700 in southern Iran

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Earthquake strikes southern Iran's Hormozgan province early Wednesday
  • About 700 people reported injured in 4.9-magnitude quake; no deaths reported
  • Iran lies on a series of fault lines, has experienced devastating earthquakes
RELATED TOPICS
  • Earthquakes
  • Iran

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- An earthquake struck southern Iran's Hormozgan province early Wednesday, injuring about 700 people, state-run media reported.

Frightened residents of the port city of Bandar Abbas poured into the streets after the 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck at 2:56 a.m. (6:26 p.m. ET Tuesday), Iran's Press TV said.

No deaths were reported.

Last year, a strong earthquake measuring 6.1 in magnitude struck Hormozgan, demolishing nearly 200 villages and killing at least six people.

Iran lies on a series of seismic fault lines and has experienced devastating earthquakes -- most notably in December 2003 when a 6.6 magnitude quake devastated the ancient city of Bam in southeast Iran, killing at least 30,000 people.