TEHRAN, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Death toll of serial strong earthquakes jolting western Iran early Friday has risen to 50, with the wounded up to nearly 850, state television reported.

    More than 40 villages had been damaged at various degrees during the quakes hitting the western province of Lorestan, the report said.

    State television also beamed live pictures of some shocked local residents who had spent the cold night outdoors but were crawling in and out of their damaged houses to salvage their belongings.

    The first of the chain quakes, measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale, hit Boroujerd and Doroud, two cities some 300 km southwest of Tehran, at 1:05 a.m. local time Friday (Thursday 21:35 GMT), the official IRNA news agency reported.

    The epicenter was in the mountainous areas between the two cities located latitudinally about 60 km from each other, it said.

    Two more aftershocks jolted the surrounding region then, and a third strong tremor measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale was felt in Doroud and surrounding areas at 4:47 a.m. local time (01:17 GMT)Friday, said IRNA.

    Provincial officials have called for immediate shipment of such items as blankets, tents, heaters and food for the quake-stricken residents, IRNA added.

    Iran sits on some of the world's most active seismic fault lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes.

    The most disastrous earthquake in recent years came on December 26, 2003 when a quake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit the historical city Bam in the southeastern province Kermans, killing nearly 26,200 people. Enditem