At least 80 people were hurt and many homes damaged when a strong earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale jolted the town of Zarand in southern Iran's Kerman province. "Twenty people have been hospitalised, and 60 were treated as outpatients," Zarand's governor, Hasan Rahmani, told state television Sunday.
The quake struck the area at 9:50 am (0620 GMT). State television also cited fears than miners in the area could be trapped underground. The province has a number of copper, iron and coal mines.
"The walls of many houses have been seriously damaged and it is anticipated that more than 60 percent of Zarand homes will no longer be inhabitable," official radio quoted a local official as saying.
Iran is an earthquake-prone area. The worst quake in recent times hit Bam, also in Kerman province, in December 2003, killing 31,000 people.
In late March, a powerful earthquake hit western Iran, killing at least 70 people and leaving thousands homeless.
In February 2005, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale killed more than 600 in Zarand.
