At least 40 people were killed and over 300 others injured in a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Pakistan on Tuesday afternoon.

At least 40 people were killed and over 300 others injured in a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Pakistan on Tuesday afternoon, an official with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) told media outlets on Wednesday.

Irshad Bhatti, spokesman of NDMA, said that all the causalities took place in Mashkel area of Washuk district in the country's southwestern province of Balochistan.

"The rescue teams have confirmed that 40 people have been killed and over 300 others injured and it is possible that the number of causalities could further rise as many people are still buried under debris," said Bhatti.

Bhatti said that Military Operations Directorate of Pakistan Army is leading the rescue operation and it has already sent the 62 Wing of Frontier Corps Balochistan and army troops along with teams of doctors and paramedical staff to the earthquake hit areas of Mashkel.

Army teams also airlifted food items, tents and medicine to the quake-hit areas via helicopters.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Office, an earthquake measuring 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale hit southern and southwestern parts of the country on Tuesday afternoon with its epicenter located at a depth of 76 km in Iran's mountainous area of Khash near Pakistan border.

Local media reported that over 1,000 houses in the earthquake- hit areas which are home to over 35,000 people, were destroyed in the earthquake.