Iranian state TV says a powerful earthquake in a sparsely populated area in the south of the country has killed 30 people and injured 650, AP reported.

TV said Tuesday April 9 magnitude 6.1 earthquake centered on the town of Kaki did not damage the nuclear plant at Bushehr, a city on the Persian Gulf some 96 kilometers (60 miles) away.

The quake was felt across the Gulf in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Iran sits on several seismic faults and suffers frequent earthquakes.