An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale has struck an island off Iran's southern coast, killing 10 people and damaging several villages. Iran's official news agency IRNA said the quake, with a magnitude of 5.9, shook southern Iran for 10 to 15 seconds at 1.53pm (1023 GMT) on Sunday. "Four villages, which have a total population of 6000, have been damaged," said the governor of Qeshm island, Heydar Alishbandi.Tahereh Irankhah, a volunteer with the Red Crescent in Qeshm, said the main hospital on the island was struggling to keep up with the number of patients. "The number of people injured is very high, and people are in the corridors. We need tents and blankets," she said.