A massive earthquake in a remote part of the Hindu Kush mountain range in north-eastern Afghanistan sent tremors rippling through Pakistan and India, leaving scores dead and hundreds injured in inaccessible areas, dpa reported. As night fell, Pakistani officials said the death toll had crossed 150, and at least 700 people were injured. In Afghanistan, at least 69 were killed and more than 170 injured. Officials in both countries have warned that the number of casualties could rise significantly as information on the extent of the loss of lives and damage was only trickling in, with communication widely disrupted, and many areas still inaccessible because of landslides and damaged roads. The 7.5-magnitude quake struck at 1:39 pm (0909 GMT) at a depth of 213 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said, with its epicentre 48 kilometres south-south-west of Jarm, Afghanistan. There was panic on the streets of Kabul, Islamabad and New Delhi, as tens of thousands of people fled swaying buildings, power lines collapsed, mobile networks went down, and underground trains were closed. -- SPA 20:38 LOCAL TIME 17:38 GMT تغريد
