The quake rattled the eastern region of the country. (Creative Commons)

The impact led people to flee their homes as emergency teams worked to rescue others and treat the injured. Victims were left trapped under rubble in villages based in the South Khorasan province.

The number of confirmed dead could rise, according to Tehran’s deputy emergency services director Mohammad Sarvar. The village of Sharaj appeared to sustain the worst of the damage as five people were killed.

At least 12 aftershocks have been registered since the quake struck at 8:38 p.m. local time. More than 300 people were killed in August when two quakes rocked northwestern Iran.

Read the full story at Reuters. Follow more Neon Tommy coverage of Iran here.