At least 400 people have been killed in an earthquake in southeastern Iran early on Tuesday and nearly 1,000 others wounded, the country's state television reported.

The earthquake hit the area around the city of Zarand in the province of Kerman, destroying several villages and affecting more than 40 others.

According to the seismological base at Tehran University's Geophysics Institute, the tremor, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, occurred at 05:55 AM local time (02:25 AM GMT) and the epicenter was located on the outskirts of Zarand.

The quake also shook the neighboring cities of Yazd, Meybod and Behabad.

The affected area is about 200 km northwest of Bam, where nearly 262,000 people were killed in December 2003 by a quake that measured 6.8 on the Richter scale.

Iran is situated on some of the world's most active seismic fault lines and quakes of varying magnitudes frequently affect the country.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2005)