A powerful earthquake collapsed at least one coal mine and many flimsy mud houses in southwest Pakistan early Thursday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 200, an official said. The death toll was expected to rise even further as crews searched in the remote mountainous area, said Suhail Anwar Shaheen, the local deputy commissioner. At least four of the dead were killed when the coal mine in which they were working collapsed, said Shaheen, citing coal miners in the area. As many as 100 homes also collapsed, burying sleeping residents inside. The epicenter of the 5.9 magnitude quake was about 14 kilometers (8 miles) north-northeast of Harnai in Baluchistan province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The initial measurement of the quake’s strength was 5.7 magnitude. It struck about 20 kilometers (12 miles) below the Earth’s surface; shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Read: What makes Haiti prone to devastating earthquakes The area, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Quetta, the provincial capital, is dotted with coal mines, which has Shaheen worried the death toll could rise. It struck in the early morning while scores of miners were already at work, he said. Most of the population in the area live in sunbaked mud houses, many of which collapsed. Rescue efforts were underway, but Shaheen said it would take hours just to reach many of the hardest-hit areas. Read: Haiti quake death toll rises to 1,419, injured now at 6,000 Local TV channels showed residents wrapped in blankets sitting on the side of the road waiting for the aftershocks to subside and help to arrive. The area is remote and already the autumn nighttime temperatures are chilly.

A strong earthquake measuring over 6.0 on the Richter Scale hit both Bangladesh and India in a span of 30 minutes early on Wednesday morning, authorities in both the countries said.   In Bangladesh, strong tremors were felt at 8.21am in different parts of the country, including the capital, according to Sheikh Hanif of the Dhaka Met office.   In neighbouring India, the quake shook the states of Assam in the northeast and West Bengal in the east at 7.51 am, the National Centre for Seismology said.   The epicentre of the earthquake in India was 43 km west of Assam's Tezpur in the state’s Sonitpur district, the Center said. Also read: 5.1 magnitude earthquake jolts Dhaka "Big earthquake hits Assam. I pray for the well being of all and urge everyone to stay alert. Taking updates from all districts," Assam's Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted. Though there have been no reports of any casualties in both the countries, local TV channels in India reported that several houses in Assam have developed cracks. Also read: 5.8 magnitude earthquake jolts Dhaka, other areas again