earthquake sign12 May, Tehran: At least one person was killed and 17 people injured when an earthquake jolted southern Iran early Saturday, general director of Crisis Management of Hormozgan province was quoted as saying by semi-official Mehr news agency.

The earthquake in Bashagard city in Hormozgan province led to the disruption of water and power networks in the surrounding villages, according to Hossein Ranjbar.

Also, the roads leading to some of the villages have been blocked, and the rescue and relief operations are underway to resolve the problems, added Ranjbar.

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

Another Hormozgan official, Ali Bahrami, told ISNA news agency that some 70 villages and 400 buildings have been destroyed in the quake.

-Xinhua