Powerful earthquake kills 50, injures over 200 in southwestern Pakistan

At least 50 people have been killed and more than 200 injured by a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Balochistan Province of Pakistan.

Pakistani meteorological officials said the magnitude 7.8 quake struck at a depth of 15 kilometers around 100 kilometers southwest of the city of Khuzdar. Tremors have also been felt as far away as the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Powerful aftershocks have later hit the entire region. Reports say the communication systems have been damaged in the area .

Iran has dispatched rescuers to its border regions to assess the situation on the ground, but no casualties or damage has been reported in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

Pakistan’s Balochistan is prone to earthquakes. A similar quake killed 41 people there in April.

A 7.6-magnitude quake hit Pakistan-administered Kashmir and several other regions on October 2005, killing at least 73,000 people and leaving some 3.5 million others homeless.