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Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits western Iran, 287 injured

In this Nov. 13, 2017 file photo, Iranian soldiers carry the body of an earthquake victim in Kermanshah Province, Iran.
In this Nov. 13, 2017 file photo, Iranian soldiers carry the body of an earthquake victim in Kermanshah Province, Iran. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit western Iran on Sunday, injuring at least 287 people, hours after two quakes struck Hormozgan province in the south, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

Houshang Bazvand, governor of the affected province of Kermanshah, told IRNA that eight of the injured had been hospitalized and the rest were released after treatment.

State media said the two earlier earthquakes, with magnitudes of 4.7 and 5.7, had damaged buildings in a few villages without causing casualties.

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READ MORE: 2018 could be an extra-active year for earthquakes, study says

Morteza Salimi, head of rescue at Iran’s Red Crescent, said damage from the two earlier quakes appeared to be light. “Reports indicate that some walls have collapsed, but extensive damage has not been reported,” Salimi told IRNA.

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Iran is crisscrossed by major geological fault lines and has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years. Last November, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit western Kermanshah province, killing at least 620 people and injuring thousands.

WATCH: Rescuers pull bodies from deadly Iran-Iraq earthquake debris

Click to play video: 'Rescuers pull bodies from deadly Iran-Iraq earthquake debris'
Rescuers pull bodies from deadly Iran-Iraq earthquake debris

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