MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) - At least 215 people have died since a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan early on October 29, national media reported on Thursday.
Officials in the Baluchistan Province, close to the border with Afghanistan, expect the death toll to rise significantly as reports come in from remote regions.
Some 15,000 people have also been left homeless by the tremor.
The quake struck at 4:09 a.m. local time (23:09 GMT Tuesday), 70 km (45 miles) north of the provincial capital Quetta, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Several aftershocks have since been felt.
Pakistan's military has sent helicopters to the Baluchistan Province, carrying rescue and medical teams, as hospitals struggle to cope with the large numbers of injured.
Convoys carrying aid for the victims face difficulties in reaching many of the remote villages in the impoverished mountainous region.
