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A series of strong earthquakes rocked southern Iran on Saturday, killing at least five people and causing damage to dozens of buildings, AFP reported, citing state media.

The quakes, including two of magnitude 6.0, struck west of the major port city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province, the US Geological Survey said.

The first rattled an area north of the town of Dezhgan shortly after 2:00 am (2130 GMT), before a 5.7 tremor hit two hours later followed quickly by the second 6.0 magnitude quake, said the USGS.

Hormozgan governor Mehdi Dousti said five people were killed, as cited by the official news agency IRNA.

Dousti said most of the damage occurred in the village of Sayeh Khosh, close to the epicentre.

State television said 49 people were injured and showed video footage of residential buildings reduced to rubble in Sayeh Khosh, which was plunged into darkness in a power outage.

Ambulances and other vehicles tried to navigate roads covered in debris as shocked residents took to the streets or tried to recover items from their flattened homes.

People also spent the night outdoors in the provincial capital Bandar Abbas, with a population of more than 500,000, located about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of the epicentres, where long queues formed in front of gas stations, state media reported.