Moderate earthquake hits southern Iran

CNN: A moderate earthquake rattled southern Iran Wednesday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

From Mitra Mobasherat, CNN

(CNN) — A moderate earthquake rattled southern Iran Wednesday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The epicenter of the magnitude 5.4 quake was about 615 kilometers (380 miles) south of the capital, Tehran, or 95 kilometers (59 miles) northwest of Shiraz.

There were no immediate reports of damage, but residents in Shiraz said it shook the floor of homes in the area and lasted about three seconds.

Iran lies on a series of seismic fault lines and experiences earthquakes almost daily, and at times, they have had devastating consequences, such as the quake in the city of Bam that killed 30,000 people in 2003.