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Children among more than 20 killed in earthquake which collapsed homes

The quake buried people in their homes and in coal mines (Picture: Rex/EPA/Getty)

A strong earthquake left at least 20 people dead and injured hundreds in south-west Pakistan on Thursday.

The 5.9 magnitude quake collapsed at least one coal mine and many flimsy mud houses in the remote mountainous areas.

Rescue workers say most of the dead are women and children.

More than 300 people have been injured and the death toll is expected to rise as crew search the region, the local deputy commissioner warned.

At least four of those who died were killed in the coal mine, which collapsed as they were working, Suhail Anwar Shaheen added.

He said rescue efforts are underway but added that it would take hours to reach many of the hardest-hit areas in Baluchistan province.

The quake struck while many residents were sleeping, trapping people in some of the more than 100 homes which caved in.

The earthquake struck the Balochistan region
epa09510244 People shift an injured victim, after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake with a shallow depth of nine kilometers struck Harnai, to a hospital in Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, 07 October 2021. At least 20 people are killed according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and several houses collapsed fearing more casualities. EPA/JAMAL TARAQAI
A man carries an injured child to a hospital in Quetta (Picture: EPA)

That has left hundreds of people homeless, Mr Shaheen, said.

The epicentre was around 8 miles north-northeast of Harnai, the US Geological Survey said – an area where most of the population live in mud-brick houses.

Countless other buildings were also damaged, with video footage showing caved in roofs and crumpled, badly cracked walls.

Situated around 60 miles from Quetta, the provincial capital, the area is dotted with coal mines.

epa09510239 People shift an injured victim, after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake with a shallow depth of 9 kilometers struck Harnai, to a hospital in Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, 07 October 2021. At least 20 people are killed according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and several houses were collapses fearing more casualities. EPA/JAMAL TARAQAI
Around 300 people have been injured (Picture: EPA)
Residents gather next to the debris of their houses that collapsed following an earthquake in the remote mountainous district of Harnai on October 7, 2021, as around 20 people were killed and more than 200 injured when a shallow earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan in the early hours of October 7. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP) (Photo by BANARAS KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Residents assess the damage as their house turns to debris (Picture: Getty Images)
A resident removes debris of his mud house that collapsed following an earthquake in the remote mountainous district of Harnai on October 7, 2021, as around 20 people were killed and more than 200 injured when a shallow earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan in the early hours of October 7. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP) (Photo by BANARAS KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Many of the houses in the area are made of mud (Picture: AFP)

The early morning incident occurred at a time when many miners are at work – raising fears of further deaths and safety at other pits.

It struck around 12 miles below the Earth’s surface – making it a relatively shallow earthquake.

Those at a lower depth tend to cause more damage.

The US Geological Survey initially measured the quake as a 5.7 magnitude.

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