Tremors felt in UAE after earthquake rocks Iran

The 5.1-magnitude quake occurred at 3.59am on Monday

The 5.1-magnitude quake occurred at a depth of 30 kilometres in Iran's southern Fars Province at 3.59am. Roy Cooper / The National

Tremors were felt in the UAE after an earthquake struck Iran in the early hours of Monday.

The 5.1-magnitude quake occurred at a depth of 30 kilometres in the southern Fars Province at 3.59am, the seismology department of the National Centre of Meteorology said.

The quake was felt slightly in northern areas of the UAE, but did not cause any damage, a spokesman for the bureau said.

In February, residents across the UAE felt the ground shake after a 5.8-magnitude quake struck Iran's Qeshm Island.

Buildings swayed in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates, causing computer monitors to shake.

A magnitude of between 5 and 5.9 is classed as moderate and is capable of causing slight damage to buildings.

There are about 500 of them each year across the world.

Iran is in one of the most seismically active areas of the world, with several major fault lines covering about 90 per cent of the country.

Since 1900, at least 126,000 people have died as a result of quakes in Iran.

Its deadliest was a 7.4-magnitude quake that occurred in northern Iran in 1990, killing 40,000 people and injuring 300,000. Half a million people were left homeless as a result.

Last week, 16 people were injured in Iran after a 5.1-magnitude quake was recorded in the central western area of the country.