M6.2 quake hits southern Iran

TEHRAN - At least 15 people were injured when an earthquake jolted southern Iran early Saturday, leaving hundreds of buildings destroyed.

The 6.2-magnitude quake occurred at 06:38 am local time (0208 GMT), and the epicenter was located in a mountainous area 97 km from Jask city, Hormozgan province, at a depth of 15 km, according to the Iranian Seismological Center.

"The quake today has injured 15," with one of them in critical condition, Hormozgan Governor-General Ebrahim Azizi was quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency as saying.

Two helicopters have been sent to the affected area to assess the situation, Mahmoud Mozaffar, a Red Crescent official, told local media, adding that latest information from the rescue teams showed that six villages were damaged.

Another Hormozgan official, Ali Bahrami, said so far 400 buildings have been known to be destroyed in the quake.