Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits southern Iran

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake on Sunday struck Iran's southern province of Bushehr, where a nuclear power plant is located, but there were no immediate reports of major damage, state television said.

The epicentre of the quake was the town of Rig and hospitals in nearby cities and provinces were on alert, with rescue teams and 50 ambulances sent to the area, a regional official told state TV. Local official Gholamreza Mehrjou told state TV that water, electricity and internet have been restored to villages in the quake-hit area and people who had taken to the streets in fear of more tremors "have returned to their homes".