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TEHERAN - A SERIES of earthquakes hit southern Iran's Kerman province on Thursday with the strongest reported to be 6.0 magnitude, although no casualties have yet been reported, state television website said.

The 6.0-magnitude quake near the town of Mohammadabad-Rigan at around 12.08pm (4.38pm Singapore time) was followed by a 4.8-magnitude aftershock at 12.13pm, the report said.

Earlier on Thursday the town of Mohammadabad-Rigan was hit with jolts measuring 5.1 and 4.0.

Town governor Mohammad Berzang was quoted on the state broadcaster's website as saying that the quake 'did not cause significant loss,' without elaborating.

He told the Fars news agency that 'the epicentre of the quake was in a mountainous area. So far we have received no report of any injuries or deaths.' Mohammadabad-Rigan is some 100km southeast of Bam where a December 2003 6.3-magnitude quake killed 31,000 people - about a quarter of its population - and destroyed the city's ancient mud-built citadel.

Iran sits astride several major fault lines in the Earth's crust and is prone to devastating seismic activity. -- AFP