A major earthquake in a remote southwestern area of Pakistan killed 39 people on Thursday.
According to CBS News, the center of the earthquake was in Baluchistan. Baluchistan is Pakistan's largest province, but it also has the fewest people. Mohammed Riaz, Pakistan's chief meteorologist, reported that the earthquake magnitude was 7.7, while the U.S. Geological Survey reported that it was 7.8.
The powerful earthquake hit the town of Arawan, which is located 30 miles from the quake's epicenter, with force. The Houston Chronicle reports that most people were killed when roofs collapsed on houses before the residents could get out.
Khair Mohammed Baluch, a resident of Arawan, said, "We all ran out for safety in the open field in front of our house. Many other neighbors were also there. Thank God no one was hurt in our area but the walls of four or five house collapsed."
The New York Times reports that a state of emergency was declared by Pakistani authorities for the Baluchistan province. 200 soldiers were deployed for rescue efforts, focusing primarily on the districts of Khuzdar and Arawan where fatalities were thought to be heaviest.
The earthquake was felt all across Pakistan, causing panic in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, and Quetta, the nation's capital. The earthquake was even felt as far away as New Delhi, India.
Mirza Kamran Zia, spokesman of Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, stated that officials are still trying to gather information and the death toll may rise.