UPDATE 2- 9 dead in eastern Turkey after earthquake

UPDATES WITH DEATH TOLL, ADDS HEALTH MINISTER'S REMARKS AND DETAILS

By Burak Bir and Fahri Aksut

ANKARA (AA) - At least nine people died and 37 others were injured in eastern Turkey on Sunday after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near the Iranian border region, the country's health minister said.

Tremors from the quake that centered in the northwestern Iranian city of Khoy were also felt in Turkey's Van province.

Fahrettin Koca said the condition of nine of the injured is serious.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said some buildings were damaged in various villages in the Baskale district of the province.

He added the most damage prone constructions in the area were mud houses which locals build.

The interior minister also briefed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the ongoing search and rescue efforts, according to the Presidential Communications Directorate.

Iran and Turkey are among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Last month, an earthquake in the eastern Turkish province of Elazig killed more than 40 people.