At least 40 people have been killed after a strong earthquake rattled southeastern Iran on Tuesday and was felt across the Gulf and South Asia.

At least 40 people have been killed after a strong earthquake rattled southeastern Iran on Tuesday and was felt across the Gulf and South Asia.

The Iranian Seismological Center (IRSC) reported on its website that the 7.5 magnitude quake struck at 3:14 pm (1044 GMT) about 80 kilometers the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It said the epicenter of the quake at a depth of 18 kilometers on Tuesday, was situated 81 kilometers north of the city of Saravan.

Assessment and evaluation teams as well as rescue teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society have been dispatched to the quake-stricken area, which is a sparsely populated rural area between the provincial cities of Saravan and Khash.

The tremor was powerful enough to be felt as far away as New Delhi, India, where it rocked tall buildings. It was also felt in the Gulf's littoral states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The quake also shook large parts of Pakistan including Islamabad, where buildings swayed, and the largest city Karachi, where tremors also prompted many to flee buildings in terror.

However, the earthquake was not felt in the Iranian capital Tehran.