At least 280 people died and more than 600 were wounded in the strong earthquake that struck Paktika province in the southeast of Afghanistan, local authorities said.

The earthquake occurred at dawn, when most people were still asleep.

Footage on social media shows destroyed houses, debris in the streets and victims on stretchers.

A spokesman for local authorities said the death toll is likely to rise. According to the local Bakhtar News Agency, the number of injured exceeded 600.

The epicenter of the quake was located about 44 kilometers from Khost city in the southeast of Afghanistan.

The shocks were felt at the distance of more than 500 km from the country borders, including Pakistan and India. According to American seismologists, the earthquake was also felt in the Afghan capital Kabul and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

The earthquake with magnitude 5.3 has also been registered in Iran at night time. Scientists said the epicenter was located 59 km southeast of Mohr.