A 5.3 magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Iran, damaging dozens of homes but there were no immediate reports of any casualties, state radio said.

The quake hit an area near the city of Torbat Heidariyeh in the province of Khorassan, prompting thousands of people to rush out of their homes into the streets, the radio said.

Iran is criss-crossed by seismic faultlines and often experiences earthquakes.