Death toll from Pakistan quake hits 355

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in south-western Pakistan climbed to 355, officials said Thursday, as rescuers intensified the search for survivors in remote villages. Most people killed by Tuesday's 7.7 magnitude quake were near the epicentre in Awaran district of Balochistan province. Around 50 people were killed in neighbouring Kech district, said provincial government spokesman Jan Muhammed Buledi. "This figure may go up as reports from remote areas are still to come," said Buledi from the provincial capital, Quetta. Around 800 people were injured, he added. A disaster management agency said the quake had either destroyed or damaged more than 20,000 houses. The quake struck south and south-western Pakistan on Tuesday afternoon and was felt as far away as the Indian capital New Delhi.