Pakistan earthquake: Powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes across India and Afghanistan

At least 29 people have been killed in a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in northern Pakistan.

Twelve school girls were killed in a stampede as they tried to evacuate shaking buildings in Afghanistan's Takhar province, west of Badakahshan, a local official said.

Another 30 girls are in hospital in the capital of Taluqan Sonatullah Taimor, said the spokesman for the Takhar provincial governor.

In Pakistan, at least five people died when homes collapsed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said rescue official, Mohammad Bilal, while more than 100 people were wounded in the area.

State-run Pakistani TV also reported a person died when the roof of their home collapsed in the eastern city of Kasu.

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

The epicentre is believed to be located in the far northern province of Badakhshan, which borders Tajikistan and China.

US Geological Survey said it was 32.3 miles deep and 45 miles south of the Badakhshan capital, Fayzabad.

Pakistani police and health officials say 12 people have been killed in the country, however the full extent of the damage and possible casualties is still unknown.

Power was cut across much of the Afghan capital, where tremors were felt for roughly 45 seconds.

Telephones were cut across the country, meaning officials in the capital could not be immediately reached after the quake. Houses shook, walls cracked and cars rolled in the street, according to local media.

Zahid Rafiq, an official with the meteorological department in Pakistan, said the quake was felt across the country.

In Islamabad, buildings shook and people flooded into the streets, many reciting verses from the Quran.

"I was praying when the massive earthquake rattled my home. I came out in a panic," said Munir Anwar, a resident of Liaquat Pur in the eastern Punjab province.

The quake was also felt in the Indian capital New Delhi. Although no damage was immediately reported, office buildings swayed and workers who had just returned from lunch ran out of buildings and gathered in the street and in parking lots.

In Srinagar, residents told the Indian Express they saw the buildings “swinging”, reminding them of the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir which left over 75,000 people dead.

In April this year, Nepal also experienced its worst earthquake on record which left over 9,000 people killed and around 900,000 homes damaged or destroyed.

More to follow...