Moderate quake rattles western Iran

Iran's state TV says a 5.3-magnitude earthquake has jolted the country's western province of Kermanshah, with no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

It says today's temblor rocked the Kurdish town of Sarpol-e-Zahab, which was one of the areas that suffered extensive damage from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in November that killed 600 people.

Iran sits on major fault lines and is prone to near-daily earthquakes. In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people.