Death Toll from South Asia quake Surpases 270 People

The quake, which lasted at least one minute, shook buildings in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, sending thousands of frightened people rushing into the streets.

Authorities in Afghanistan were still able to estimate, however, that around 63 people were killed in the disaster and hundreds injured.

In Pakistan, military and civilian rescuers are struggling to reach the remote, impoverished areas that were most severely affected.

Besides, a total of 2,520 houses were also damaged in the quake in addition to an unknown extent of infrastructure damage in the quake-affected areas, said Reema Zubari, the spokeswoman of the NDMA in a telephone interview with Xinhua.

The magnitude 7.5 quake struck in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near Afghanistan’s borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan.

The Pakistan Army and civilian relief organisations have been alerted to undertake relief efforts for people affected.

In Afghanistan, more than 60 deaths have been reported, including 12 schoolgirls who died when they were caught in a stampede as children fled from their school building in Takhar province in the northeastern part of the country.

Many people were still too afraid to go back inside buildings as night fell Monday and aftershocks continued, Noor said.

Buildings in the Tajik capital Dushanbe were damaged by the tremors.

The massive natural disaster also triggered landslides in mountainous northern and northwestern Pakistan. “It [earthquake] caused severe damage to our area”.

The initial magnitude 7.5 quake on Monday afternoon was followed by seven aftershocks, measuring as high as magnitude 4.8, according to the US Geological Survey.

In Afghanistan, 73 people were reported dead and more than 300 were injured.

A relief operation is underway with the United States and Iran being among several foreign countries offering to provide much needed humanitarian assistance.

The quake’s focus was deep, reducing its impact.

Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah tweeted that the quake was the strongest felt in recent decades. “It similarly orders its mujahideen in the affected areas to lend their complete help to the victims and facilitate those giving charity to the needy”.

“The USA government has been in touch with the governments in Afghanistan and Pakistan and we stand ready to provide any additional support that may be needed”, the U.S. White House press secretary Josh Earnest told a daily press briefing.

Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif cut short his visit to Britain to fly home to deal with the emergency.