The number of people who have died from the novel coronavirus in Iran has risen to 54, Reuters reports quoting Iranian state TV.

The number of people infected by the virus in the country stands at 978.

The numbers emerge as international experts are questioning the scale of the coronavirus epidemic in Iran, where the official death toll is second only to China and risks creating a regional epicentre of contagion.

The London-based BBC Persian service says 210 people have been killed by the virus; a figure it says it collated from hospital sources. The report was immediately dismissed by Iran's health ministry.