A member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard carries a boy injured during an earthquake in Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, 1100 km (684 miles) southeast of Tehran September 10, 2008.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    TEHRAN, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A strong earthquake of 6.1 magnitude on the Richter scale struck southern Iran on Wednesday, killing 4 people and wounding 34 so far, local media reported.

    Iran's state television quoted Bageri, head of the country's Crisis Management Organization, as saying that the center of the earthquake was between Iran's southern port city of Bandar Khamir and Qeshm Island in southern province of Hormozgan.

    The Geophysics Institute of Tehran University, registered the quake at 15:30 hours local time (1100 GMT), Iran's official IRNA news agency said.

    The epicenter of the quake which lasted about 30 seconds was located in 26.99 degrees north latitude and 55.75 degrees east longitude.

    The earthquake jolted the vicinity of Khamir port near southern port city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan, IRNA said, adding that the quake spread panic among people who ran to the street in search of shelter.

    Qeshm Island official Gholam Ali Daneshvar told IRNA that 100 residential houses in rural areas were damaged.

    The quake also cut off electricity in some parts of Qeshm Island, IRNA said.

    Iran's Red Crescent Society has dispatched rescue teams equipped with most sophisticated equipment to the region, according to IRNA.

    Head of Bandar Abbas' Al-Zahra hospital Mohammad Saeed Mahmoudi said the injured people have all been transferred to the hospital over the past few hours.

    The quake struck Iran's southern port city of Bandar Lengeh and Kish Island as well, the semi-official Fars news agency said, adding that it is possible that the earthquake has caused serious damage.

    Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) news network said that the quake also struck Lengeh port, Minab port and Geshm Island in the area.

    Yasser Hazbavi, head of Hormozgan's provincial disaster management headquarters was quoted by Press TV as saying that the quake had demolished nearly 200 villages, adding that rescue teams have been dispatched to the area.

    The earthquake was followed by two light aftershocks, measuring4.8 and 4.4 on the Richter scale, Press TV said.

    The port city of Bandar Abbas is home to major oil installations including a refinery, but so far there was no damage to oil facilities in the city, Press TV added.

    Iran is located at the juncture of some of the world's most active seismic faults, which is often shaken by quakes of varying magnitudes.

    In December 2003, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale hit Iran's historic city of Bam in southeastern province of Kerman, killing almost 30,000 people.