At least 210 people in Iran have died as a result of the new coronavirus disease, sources in the country's health system have told.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media.

Most of the victims are from the capital, Tehran, and the city of Qom, where cases of Covid-19 first emerged.

The figure is six times higher than the official death toll of 34 given by the health ministry earlier on Friday.

The ministry, which has insisted it is being transparent about the outbreak, rejected the BBC report.

It comes after a member of parliament for Qom accused the authorities of a cover-up and the US expressed concern that they may not be sharing information.