A magnitude 6.1 earthquake in southern Iran early Saturday morning resulted in at least five deaths and 49 injuries, according to state-run media. The region was subsequently struck by two earthquakes measuring up to magnitude 6.3.

After the 2 am local time earthquake that leveled the town of Sayeh Khosh near Iran's Gulf coast in the province of Hormozgan, twenty-four aftershocks, including two of magnitude 6.3 and 6.1, were recorded. According to state television, the most recent earthquake occurred at about 8 am.

Foad Moradzadeh, governor of Bandar Lengeh county, was quoted by the state news agency IRNA as saying, "All of the victims perished in the initial quake, and no one was injured in the two subsequent quakes because people had already fled their homes."

Mojtaba Khaledi, a spokesperson for emergency services, informed state television that half of the 49 injured had been discharged from hospitals.

Officials said that search and rescue activities were complete.

Saeid Pourzadeh, a Kish island crisis task group member, stated that the earthquakes had not hampered Gulf shipping and flights.

State television reported that 150 earthquakes and tremors had affected western Hormozgan in the preceding month.

Iran has had several destructive earthquakes in recent years traversed by major geological fault lines. In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake devastated the ancient city of Bam and killed 31,000 people in Kerman province.