Quake death toll rises to over 300 in Pak., Afghanistan

In Pakistan the deaths mounted to 253 while in Afghanistan 82 people have been killed.

The death following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that hit north-eastern Afghanistan on Monday, the death has climbed to over 300 people, mostly in Pakistan.

The earthquake epi-centred in the Hindukush mountain range in Afghanistan struck at around 2.40 p.m., sending shockwaves across several States in North India.

The U.S. Geological Survey originally said the quake had a 7.7 magnitude, but later downgraded it to 7.5. It said the quake was 120 miles deep and centred 51 miles south-east of Feyzabad in a remote northern area of Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush mountain range.

Lasted over a minute

The tremors lasted for more than a minute and people were seen evacuating buildings as a safety measure.

In Pakistan, the death toll has risen to at least 253, in the northern mountainous areas. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone, authorities said at least 179 people were known to have died, and more than 1,800 were injured.

Deaths and injuries have also been reported in the Afghan provinces of Takhar, Nangarhar, Badakhshan and Kunar, with at least 82 killed in total. At least 12 of the victims were Afghan schoolgirls killed in a crush as they tried to get out of their building in Takhar province. The death toll is set to rise as the most severely affected areas are very remote and communications have been cut off.