Death toll hits 275 after powerful earthquake strikes Afghanistan, Pakistan and India

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By BNO NEWS

The death toll from Monday’s powerful earthquake in parts of Asia has risen to at least 275, according to officials in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The death toll is expected to rise significantly.

Pakistani authorities reported that 209 people had been killed and at least 956 others had been injured. In Afghanistan, local officials reported that at least 65 people had been killed, while 271 others were injured, according to the Pajhwok news agency.

Only one fatality was reported in India, where a 65-year-old woman died in the town of Baramulla in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Express reported that the woman became so panicked by the earthquake that she suffered a heart attack and died.

The 7.5-magnitude earthquake was centered in northeast Afghanistan about 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Jarm, or about 254 kilometers (158 miles) northeast of Kabul. It struck about 212.5 kilometers (132 miles) deep, making it a relatively deep earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The agency estimated that some 41.2 million people throughout the region may have felt the earthquake, including some 4.9 million who may have experienced strong to very strong shaking. Areas affected include Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

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