Southern Iran rattled by earthquake; 79 hurt

TEHRAN (AA) - A moderate earthquake shook southern Iran Monday morning, injuring at least 79 people, according to reports on Iranian state television.

The quake’s epicenter was reportedly located near the village of Sirch in Iran’s south-central Kerman province, roughly 1,000 kilometers southeast of capital Tehran.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake -- which was reportedly followed by several smaller aftershocks -- measured 5.9 on the Richter scale.

One day earlier, Iran’s southern and western regions were shaken by a series of tremors that reportedly left some 300 people injured in their wake.

Last November, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 600 people in western Iran.