5.7 magnitude earthquake shakes Balochistan province, killing at least 20

The quake struck at around 3am local time in the Harnai region of Balochistan province. American Geological Survey (USGS)

According to the USGS, it measured an initial depth of 20.8 kilometers (12.9 miles).

The Balochistan Lewis Force, the province’s paramilitary law enforcement agency, said some houses in Harnai had collapsed following the quake.

“The rescue operation has been going on since 3 am. The injured were airlifted to the hospital by helicopter,” Hornai district commissioner Sohail Afridi said, “currently under control.”

The Eddie Foundation told CNN that Hernai is located in the countryside and is not easily accessible.

According to the Balochistan Lewis Force, the road to Hernai has been blocked by landslides. A Video The paramilitary team posted on Twitter that officers involved in clearing the road had manually removed debris from the headlights of two vehicles.

The last major earthquake in Balochistan September 2013. The quake, which measured 7.7 on the Richter scale, struck a remote, uninhabited area of Avaran, killing at least 330 people and injuring 445 others.

CNN’s Sofia Saifi reported from Karachi and Azaz Syed from Islamabad.