DUBAI (Reuters) -A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Fars province in southern Iran on Sunday, Iranian state TV reported.

       There were no immediate reports of fatalities or damage in the area of the quake, which was centred near the town of Khesht, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

       Iranian state media said the quake, felt in several cities and towns in the province, struck at a depth of 11 km (6.6 miles) at 07:00 p.m. local time (1430 GMT).

       "At least four rescue teams have been dispatched to the quake-hit area and hospitals in nearby cities are on alert," a local official told state TV.

       Crisscrossed by major fault lines, the Islamic Republic is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In 2003 a magnitude 6.6 quake in Kerman province killed 31,000 people and flattened the ancient city of Bam.

       (Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Hugh Lawson)