Earthquake Hits South-west Pakistan

At least nine people have been killed and 40 injured after a strong earthquake struck south-west Pakistan early this morning, a mayor and other officials said.

The US Geological Survey said a 6.2 magnitude quake struck 45 miles (70km) north-east of the city of Quetta just before dawn.

"Several houses collapsed and we have confirmed four people were killed ," said Dilawar Khan, mayor of the town of Ziarat in Pakistan's Baluchistan province.

A security official in Pishin district said two people had been killed there.

Officials in Quetta said that many of the injuries had been sustained when mud walls collapsed, or during the panic when people rushed from their homes.

"There were two tremors, the second one was serious and people rushed out of their houses," said local resident Amjad Hussain.

A severe earthquake in 1935 left 30,000 people dead and destroyed most of Quetta.

The region's worst earthquake was in October, 2005 when about 75,000 people were killed, most of them in the mountainous region of northern Pakistan.