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TEHRAN, July 4 (Reuters) - A 5.3 magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Iran on Friday, causing cracks in some buildings, but there were no reports of any casualties, state radio said.

The quake hit at around 3:40 a.m. (2310 GMT on Thursday) near the town of Torbat Heidariyeh in the province of Khorassan, prompting thousands of people to rush out of their homes into the streets, the radio said.

The report suggested the damage reported so far was relatively minor, saying the quake had caused cracks in the walls of homes in villages.

"Fifteen thousand of the region's residents poured out on the streets in fear," the radio quoted one regional official as saying, adding dozens of homes were damaged.

Iran is criss-crossed by seismic faultlines and often experiences earthquakes. (Reporting by Hashem Kalantari; Writing by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)

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