Pakistan earthquake death toll rises to 24, over 450 injured

At least 24 people were killed and 450 injured in an earthquake that hit Pakistani Kashmir, Reuters has quoted local officials as saying on Wednesday, but they added that rescue work was in full swing and panic was subsiding.

Tuesday's earthquake levelled homes and shops and split open roads in an area between the towns of Jhelum and Mirpur to the north.

"The situation is slowly returning to normal, the level of panic is now less among the people, although an aftershock was felt at night," said Sardar Gulfaraz Khan, a police deputy inspector general.

"Most of the damage happened in villages where old houses collapsed," Khan said.

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