Earthquake hits south-west Pakistan

At least 31 people have been killed and 40 injured after a strong earthquake struck south-west Pakistan early this morning, according to officials.

The US geological survey said a 6.2 magnitude quake struck 45 miles (70km) north-east of the city of Quetta just before dawn.

The Pakistan meteorological department said two tremors had struck before dawn, the second one bigger than the first.

"Two areas are badly hit," said Dilawar Khan, mayor of the town of Ziarat, in Pakistan's Baluchistan province.

Some houses had collapsed and 11 people were killed in one area and 14 in another, he said.

A security official in the neighbouring Pishin district said five people had been killed there.

Officials in Quetta said that many of the injuries had been sustained when mud walls collapsed, or during the panic when people rushed from their homes.

"There were two tremors, the second one was serious and people rushed out of their houses," said local resident Amjad Hussain.

A severe earthquake in 1935 left 30,000 people dead and destroyed most of Quetta.

The region's worst earthquake was in October, 2005 when about 75,000 people were killed, most of them in the mountainous region of northern Pakistan.