At least 15 people died and 300 injured after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan.
Eight children were among the reported victims.
The quake struck near the remote, mountainous Harnai district of Balochistan province at about 3 a.m. local time.
The earthquake further caused power outages and damage across Harnai.
“Rescue officials have reached the scene and are working,” Osama bin Ijaz, a provincial disaster management official, said.
A survey of the damage to the houses and other buildings in Harnai was ongoing, he said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has “ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis” to residents of the area.
Provincial minister Zia Langove affirmed that rescue efforts had been hampered due to landslides caused by the earthquake.
“There has been quite a lot of landsliding. Teams are currently working to clear the roads to the area,” Langove said. Rescue officials will be able to conduct a more accurate assessment of the damage once they have access to the area, he added.
In a Twitter post Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his sorrow at the loss of lives in the earthquake.
“I have ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis for the Harnai, Balochistan, earthquake victims & for an immediate assessment of the damage for timely relief & compensation. My condolences & prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones,” he further wrote.
Sohail Afridi, the district commissioner of Harnai, said rescue efforts were ongoing.
