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Heydar Alishbandi, governor of Qeshm island, told the AFP news agency that the western villages of Gabardin, Tonban, Tourian and Khaldin had been badly hit.

The villages have a total population of about 6,000, he added.

Qeshm city, the provincial centre, remained largely unscathed, although state TV reported that market stalls were knocked to the ground.

“We were panicked. I saw an injured person with blood on their clothes being taken to a local hospital,” one woman in Qeshm told AFP.

More from the BBC

The earthquake that struck Qeshm Island, Iran today at 1353 (1023 GMT) has been at the centre of speculation in the past over whether it has chemical weapons on the islands.

Rumour has it than Iran deployed Chinese HY-2 “Silkworm” anti-ship missiles along the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf, on Abu Musa island, on Qeshm Island and on Sirri Island.

In March 1995 US Secretary of Defense William Perry denied speculation on the possible existence of Iranian chemical weapons on the islands.

If international rescue and aid is needed for the island, it could prove a sensitive issue for the Government of Iran.

See:
Eyewitness Reports From The Iranian Earthquake

Reports are coming out of an earthquake registering 5.9 on the richter scale just south of Tehran.

No other reports of damage are out yet. Although 5.9 isn’t massive it can cause slight damage to well-designed buildings and cause major damage to poorly constructed buildings over small regions.

Update: The 5.9-magnitude quake struck Qeshm island, home to 120,000 people, and the city of Bandar Abbas, state media said.

The governor of Qeshm island told the AFP news agency four villages had been destroyed and three people killed.

The quake could be felt in Oman and UAE.

See: Qeshm Island Earthquake