Islamabad, Sep 24 (IANS): Two persons were killed and moderate damage was reported after an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale hit Pakistan's southwest province of Balochistan Tuesday afternoon, Xinhua reported citing local officials and media reports.

Local Urdu TV channel Geo said two people were killed and eight others injured in Awaran, a small town that is closest to the epicentre of the earthquake.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on its website that the epicentre is located 120 km southwest of Khuzda in central Balochistan.

Several houses in Awaran also collapsed in the quake, said Geo, adding that local residents were trying to rescue people buried under the debris.

According to local media reports, three people were injured in Balbandin, a small town located some 280 km northwest of Khuzda while two schools were leveled to the ground in Hub which lies over 300 km to the southeast of Khuzda.

Several houses collapsed in Gwadar, a port city located at the southwestern tip of Balochistan.

Emergency has been declared at hospitals and government departments concerned in all earthquake-hit areas across Balochistan, said a spokesman of the provincial government of Balochistan.

The earthquake was recorded at 4.29 p.m. local time and the focal depth is 10 km underground, said PMD.

Strong tremors were felt in many parts of the country, from the southern port city of Karachi, to the eastern city of Lahore and northwestern parts of the country.

The quake caused great panic in densely populated Karachi where people rushed out of their homes and offices, reported local media.

Local meteorological department officials said the epicentre of the earthquake was located in a sparsely populated area and the impact of the earthquake is yet to be determined as communication from the worst-hit area of Awaran has been cut off in the quake.