A powerful earthquake rocked Iran's northwestern city of Khoy and its surroundings, injuring a total of 973 people, the Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, citing an emergency official.

On Saturday evening, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit Khoy, in Iran's West Azerbaijan Province, killing at least three people and injuring 816, according to Iranian media.

973 people sustained injuries due to the earthquake in Khoy, emergency services spokesperson Mojtaba Khaledi said, all of whom were hospitalized.

At least 17 temporary shelters have been set up in the West Azerbaijan province to assist those affected by the quake, the IRNA news agency said.

The shortage of diesel fuel, necessary for heating the premises, has been a matter of concern for local residents, as the earthquake struck on a cold, snowy night.

However, the fears were allayed by Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who said that all temporary shelters would be heated, and the remaining residents would be transferred to other towns where they will also be provided with accommodation, the IRNA said.

In July, 6.1 and 6.3 earthquakes killed five people and injured 19 others in the village of Sayeh Khosh of Bandar Khamir village in southern Iran.

Situated on the edge of several tectonic plates and crossing various fault lines, Iran is an area of strong seismic activity.

Iran's deadliest quake was a 7.4-magnitude tremor that struck in 1990, killing 40,000 people in the north of the country.