DEADLY QUAKE
Pakistan earthquake today leaves 25 dead and hundreds injured as 6.0 tremor rocks Mirpur
A MASSIVE earthquake rocked north-east Pakistan today levelling homes, killing dozens and injuring more than 300.
The devastating 6.0 magnitude quake's epicentre was close to the city of Mirpur, which is located inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
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Photos circulating on social media showed huge cracks on main roads in the area and destroyed homes and businesses.
According to state-run television, four children were among at least 25 dead following the quake which was sparked six miles beneath the Earth's surface.
Raja Qaiser, a deputy commissioner in the region, said rescuers were still transporting victims to hospitals in the city.
The earthquake shook walls across the country and left people standing in the streets fearing further tremors.
Residents in Islamabad were seen rushing out of multi-storey buildings into the streets when the tremors started.
Pakistan's military dispatched troops and medical teams to the quake-affected area to aid civilian authorities rescue victims.
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Authorities said emergency helicopters will now be used to evacuate people from the hardest hit areas.
One Mirpur resident said: "I was sitting in my shop when suddenly the walls started swaying.
"I knew that it is a strong earthquake. The moment I came out of my shop, its roof caved in."
Mohammad Arif, whose home was levelled in Mirpur, said when the quake hit he started shouting to alert his family.
"God saved me. God saved all of my family members, but our home was partially damaged," he said.
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Mushtaq Minhas, information minister in Pakistan-held Kashmir, told reporters that rescuers were still using ambulances to transport the injured to hospitals.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi in separate statements expressed their grief over losses caused by the quake.
The tremors were also felt in the north west and in many towns and cities in eastern Punjab province.
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