Iran is struck by 6.3-magnitufde earthquake that is felt as far away as Dubai and Saudi Arabia
- A 6.3-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Iran, near city of Bandar Abbas
- The quake, from a depth of 10km, was upgraded from preliminary 6.0 magnitude
- It was felt as far as Saudi Arabia and Dubai in the UAE, according to social media
Southern Iran has been struck by two earthquakes, one of them at a 6.3-magnitude, close to the city of Bandar Abbas, according to a report from the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
The first earthquake is reported to have struck around 39 miles northwest of Bandar Abbas. It emerged from a depth of 10km beneath the earth's surface and was upgraded from a preliminary magnitude of 6.0.
A second earthquake is understood to have hit the same area about a minute later.
A number of homes are reported to have been destroyed but it is not known if there were any casualties.
A map shows the location of a 6.3-magnitude earthquake which occured around 39 miles northwest of Bandar Abbas in Iran
Footage from near the epicentre of the quake 39 miles northwest of Bandar Abbas shows dust clouds forming over the mountain range
Reports of aftershocks have come from as far as Dubai and Saudi Arabia, with scores of people taking to social media.
'The situation in Hormozgan Province was declared red and assessment teams were sent to the region to estimate the possible damage,' the Iranian Red Crescent stated, according to Dutch news agency BNO News.
They added that nearly 6,200 people live within a 15-kilometer radius of the quake's epicenter.
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Other affected countries include Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Afghanistan.
'The quake was felt in several southern Iranian cities in the Hormozgan province,' a local official said.
