132 killed, 1,300 hurt as 7.5 magnitude quake strikes Pakistan

At least 132 people were killed and over 1,300 others injured today as a powerful 7.5 earthquake rocked northern Pakistan and the country deployed the army in the affected regions for relief operations.

The quake's epicentre was located near Jurm in northeast Afghanistan, 250 kilometres from Kabul and at a depth of 213.5 kms, according to the US Geological Survey.

Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif left for Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to supervise rescue operations in earthquake-hit areas, military's media wing ISPR says in a statement.

The death toll in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is 96, with 5 killed in Punjab, and 4 in PoK, the Dawn reported.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has directed the district administration to utilise rescue and relief funds and emergency has been declared in all government hospitals and food and necessary items were dispatched to the affected areas.

Reportedly, several buildings collapsed in various areas of the province mostly in northern parts in Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Dir and Buner districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that the quake hit the country at about 2:09 pm local time.

Several landslides have been reported in mountainous areas of the country, leading to fears that the death toll may increase.

Tremors were also felt in major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Kohat and Malakand.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed all federal, civil, military and provincial agencies to declare an immediate alert and mobilise all resources to ensure the security of citizens of Pakistan. All agencies have been directed to move out with their resources.

The prime minister also told the Gilgit Baltistan governor to mobilise tribal administration immediately for relief, rescue and damage assessment in the affected regions.

On the directions of the premier, a round-the-clock crisis cell has also been formed to coordinate with all federal, civil, military and provincial agencies for damage assessment and rescue and relief efforts.

The premier also directed the governor to immediately reach Gilgit and take charge of rescue and relief efforts in the region.