Major quake jolts Iranian city

Tehran: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the western Iranian city of Abdanan in Ilam province Monday.

Water, electricity, and telephone lines has been cut off in the city in Abdanan, IRNA reported.

According to official, the aftershocks could be felt in neighbouring provinces of Lorestan, Khuzestan and Markazi.

The quake left 60 people injured, the officials said.

The quake hit the city at 7.00 a.m. and was registered in an area located at 47.7 degrees longitude and 32.7. degrees latitude.

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

The worst in recent times hit Bam in Kerman province in December 2003, killing 31,000 people - about a quarter of its population - and destroying the city's ancient mud-built citadel.

The deadliest quake in the country was in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale.

About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan.

It devastated 27 towns and about 1,870 villages.