Two earthquakes hit southern Iran

Dubai: Two earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.7 and 5.7 respectively struck Hormozgan province in southern Iran on Sunday. However, there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, state television reported.

"The earthquakes were at the border of Fars and Hormozgan provinces and we have not received any reports of material damage or injuries yet," a local official in Hormozgan told state television. 

Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth's crust and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating.

On November 12, 2017, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck the border region between Iraq and Iran in Kermanshah province. Hundreds of people were killed and many others injured. The earthquake destroyed several residential units in the urban and rural areas

The quake hit at 21:18 local time (18:18 GMT) about 30km (19 miles) south of Darbandikhan, near the north-eastern border with Iran, the US Geological Survey (USGS) had said.

The earthquake was the deadliest of 2017 and was felt as far away as Turkey and Pakistan.