The US Geological Survey says two other earthquakes, measuring 4.4 and 4.2 magnitude, struck early Sunday near the city of Javanrud in Iran’s Kermanshah province.
State TV reported the toll, citing Reza Mahmoudian, a governorate official. The state-run IRNA news agency says one of the five killed was a 70-year-old man who died of a heart attack during the earthquakes.
Bazvand said a crisis center had been set up, with hospitals and relief organizations placed on alert.
There were reports that the strongest quake was felt far across the border into Iraq, and IRNA said there were multiple aftershocks.
Images on social media showed people being rushed to hospitals, but suggested relatively light damage to infrastructure.
Iran sits on top of two major tectonic plates and sees frequent seismic activity.
In November last year a major 7.3-magnitude quake killed 620 people in Kermanshah province and another eight people in Iraq.One person was killed and dozens injured in a strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck western Iran near the border with Iraq early Sunday, local media reported.
The shallow quake hit 26 kilometres (16 miles) southwest of the city of Javanrud in Kermanshah province, the US Geological Survey said, near the site of a powerful quake last year that killed hundreds.
The Tasnim news agency earlier said that a 70-year-old man had died of a heart attack in the town of Novosbad, and it was not clear if this was the same fatality.
Bazvand said a crisis centre had been set up, with hospitals and relief organisations placed on alert.
There were reports that the quake was felt far across the border into Iraq, and IRNA said there were multiple aftershocks.
Images on social media showed people being rushed to hospitals, but suggested relatively light damage to infrastructure.
Iran sits on top of two major tectonic plates and sees frequent seismic activity.
In November last year a major 7.3-magnitude quake killed 620 people in Kermanshah province and another eight people in Iraq.
