7 earthquakes strike off Iranian coast; no damage reported

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Seven earthquakes struck off Iran’s southern Kish Island on Wednesday, rattling Dubai and other areas across the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. Geological Survey said six magnitude 4 temblors struck, as well as one magnitude 5.3 off the island near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state television reported that authorities deployed rescue teams to the town of Jenah in Hormozgan province, though no damage and casualties were initially reported. Jenah is some 1,080 kilometers (670 miles) south of the capital, Tehran.

In the United Arab Emirates, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, its National Center of Meteorology acknowledged residents felt the quakes without any effect. Qatar’s Seismic Information Center similarly said residents there felt the magnitude 5.3 quake without any impact on the country.

Iran lies on major seismic faults and experiences one earthquake a day on average. In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people. A magnitude 7 earthquake that struck western Iran in 2017 killed more than 600 people and injured more than 9,000.