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Casualties from Asia quake in the thousands

It was estimated 30,000 people have been killed so far in the latest 7.6 magnitude south Asia earthquake, with Pakistan being the hardest hit with many deaths concentrated in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. The death toll was expected to climb throughout the coming week, according to Pakistani Army officials. There were smaller numbers of casualties in neighboring India, while in Afghanistan a single death was reported: a girl who died after a wall collapsed due to the quake.

"Rescuers are struggling to dig people from the wreckage, their work made more difficult as rain and hail turned dirt and debris into sticky muck," said Major General Shaukat Sultan, Pakistan`s chief army spokesman.

The earthquake, although not technically the strongest on record in the region, collapsed entire apartment and business buildings across Pakistan, killing hundreds of students at schools across the country. International aid has already been committed to help with rescue efforts, including $50 million dollars pledged by the United States.