According to the Seismological Center of the Institute of Geophysics of Tehran University, the quake occurred 08:28 am (local time) and its epicenter was Sankhast with a depth of 9 kilometers.
Deputy Head of the Crisis Management Department of the North Khorasan Province Mohsen La’al Qaderi said initial reports indicate that the temblor has damaged some old houses in the district.
He added that local teams have been dispatched to the quake-hit area to examine the situation more precisely.
Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major fault lines that cover at least 90% of the country. As a result, earthquakes in Iran occur often and are destructive.
Back in November, the western province of Kermanshah was hit by a major 7.3-magnitude quake that killed 620 people according to the latest toll.