Pakistan has sent troops to help its citizens affected by a powerful earthquake that struck just over the border in south-east Iran.
The 7.8-magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit Iran for more than 50 years, caused 35 deaths in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
The National Disaster Management Authority say a further 150 people there have been injured.
The quake shook tall buildings as far away as India and the Gulf States.
It struck in the Iranian province of Sistan Baluchistan at about 15:14 local time (10:44 GMT) on Tuesday close to the city of Khash, which has a population of nearly 180,000, and Saravan, where 250,000 people live.
Its depth was about 95km (59 miles).
“The epicentre of the quake was located in the desert, and population centres do not surround it. There were no fatalities in the towns around the epicentre,” an Iranian crisis centre official, Morteza Akbarpour, was quoted as saying by the Iranian news agency Isna.
Iran’s Fars news agency said the depth of the quake reduced its impact to the size of a magnitude-4.0 tremor on the surface.
All communications to the region have been cut and the Iranian Red Crescent said it was sending 20 search-and-rescue teams to the area.
However, fatalities were soon reported in Pakistan, mostly in the Mashkel district of Balochistan.
Officials said homes had collapsed and army and paramilitary forces were being sent to help the relief effort.
Two military helicopters carrying medical teams were on their way and would have troops in support, they said.
The area has since been shaken by several strong aftershocks including one on Wednesday of magnitude 5.7.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement saying the organisation stood ready to help “if asked to do so” and the US also offered assistance.
The quake was felt over a wide area.
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