A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook Iran's central areas on Monday, and there was no immediate reports of casualties or damage, state media reported.

The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred at 17:59 local time (1429 GMT), was 19 km from Qom, about 150 km south of Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The Seismologic Center of Tehran University Geophysics Institute has put the magnitude of the tremor at 5.9 on the Richter scale, IRNA said.

The state-run Press TV website reported earlier that the center has put the magnitude of the tremor at 5.6 on the Richter scale.

The earthquake has jolted the capital city of Tehran and its suburban areas, the website said, adding that earthquake was also felt in the cities of Karaj, Qom, Garmsar, Varamin and Kashan.

An official with the Interior Ministry told IRNA that his ministry has received no reports of casualties from the quake- stricken areas, but a natural disasters headquarters has been set up and presided by the governor general of Qom province.

Some residents in Qom told IRNA on the phone that the earthquake had shattered some windows and made cracks in some buildings in the city. Some windows in the holy shrine of the city had also been shattered, they said.