At least 20 people have been killed when an earthquake shook Pakistan’s Balochistan province early on Thursday, officials have informed the BBC.
Disaster management officials indicated the death toll may grow.
Images on social media showed people in the city of Quetta out on the streets in the aftermath of the quake.
Initial reports indicated that it may have measured up to 5.7 on the Richter scale. A government official stated individuals died when structures fell.
Local sources informed BBC Urdu that at least 150 others are thought to have been hurt, with several of them transported to hospital in critical condition. Rescue activities are still underway.
Many of the fatalities were women and children, according to the Reuters news agency.
Much of the damage appeared to have struck the Harnai area, officials said.
Harnai, which is located east of the province capital Quetta, has a considerable number of coal mines.
Balochistan’s interior minister Mir Ziaullah Langu told the BBC that emergency services had been summoned to the region.
