Death toll rises to 350 in Pakistan earthquake

The death toll rose to 350 Thursday in a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that left thousands homeless and 619 injured in Pakistan, government officials said. Balochistan province government spokesman Mohammad Jan Buledi told Dawn News he believes the death toll will go up as rescuers search through mud houses that collapsed in Tuesday's quake. "I fear there may be more bodies buried under the rubble," he said. The mud houses prevalent in the region were particularly susceptible to damage from the earthquake, Dawn News reported. "Around 90 percent of houses in the district have been destroyed. Almost all the mud houses have collapsed," said Abdul Rasheed Baloch, a senior official in Awaran district. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority has denied aid relief from the United Nations, international donors and some countries, Dawn News said. "We have enough resources to cope with the situation that has emerged after the earthquake in Awaran and Kech although international donors and some friendly countries have also offered their cooperation," NDMA Chairman Maj. Gen. Mohammad Saeed Aleem said. Relief goods stock in Karachi were transported to Awaran and Kech districts. The army sent 100 medical staff members and 1,000 troops to Balochistan and set up a medical center in Tarteej.