Many hurt in Iran quake, 14 in hospital, official says

TEHRAN, May 7 (Reuters) An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 struck Iran's southeastern province of Kerman today and 14 out of scores injured were taken to hospital, a government official said.

The official, who declined to be named, said that apart from those treated in hospital 65 had received light injuries in the quake.

''So far, no one has died,'' he said.

The province of Kerman is highly prone to earthquakes. Some 31,000 people were killed when an earthquake razed the city of Bam there in 2003.

More than 600 people were killed in February last year when an earthquake hit the town of Zarand in Kerman.

Kerman is not an oil-producing region of the world's fourth-biggest crude exporter.

REUTERS OM KN1543