At least 20 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake in Pakistan and there are fears the death toll could rise much further.
The quake appeared to be centred on a central part of the country, a mountainous region about 430 miles south west of the capital Islamabad. It struck around 3 o'clock this (Thursday) morning – 11:03pm BST on Wednesday night – in an area known for its numerous coal mines and housing fashioned mainly from sun-baked mud.
First reports indicated that there had been 11 deaths and around 200 injuries among the locals but Suhail Anwar Shaheen, the deputy commissioner for the area, said that the death toll was expected to rise as rescuers searched the remote region for survivors. There were rising fears that among the dead were women and children, the Reuters news agency reported.
According to other coal miners in the area, at least four of the dead were killed when the mine in which they were working collapsed, said Mr Shaheen.
The magnitude of the quake was 5.7, according to the United States Geological Survey, and its epicentre was about 14km (8 miles) north-northeast of Harnai in Baluchistan province. It struck about 20km (12 miles) below the earth's surface.
The part of Pakistan hit is about 100km (60 miles) from Quetta, the provincial capital, and is home to numerous coal mines, which has raised fears among officials that the death toll could rise dramatically. It struck in the early morning when considerable numbers of miners were already at work.
Most of the area's population live in sun-baked mud houses, many of which collapsed. Rescue efforts were under way, but Mr Shaheen said it would take many hours just to reach the areas hardest hit.
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