Islamabad, Sep 28 (IANS): At least seven people were killed and a dozen others injured while dozens of houses collapsed when an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale hit Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province Saturday afternoon, Xinhua reported citing local media.

Dunya TV said that the casualties happened when the earthquake leveled several houses in Nokjo town located in Balochistan's Awaran, a district already devastated by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake earlier Tuesday, killing more than 350 people and injuring more than 600 others.

The epicentre of the Saturday afternoon earthquake was determined at 145 km northeast of Awaran at a focal depth of 47 km, the local met office said.

Abdul Rasheed Gogazai, the deputy commissioner of Awaran, confirmed that several houses had collapsed due to the earthquake in Nokjo town.

But he failed to confirm the causality number, saying that they have dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas who would give the final report after reaching there.

Seismic vibrations of the quake, which lasted for 20 to 30 seconds, were also felt in the country's southern Sindh province, causing panic among the people. But no loss of life was reported there.

The met office said on its website that the earthquake struck the country at 12.34 p.m. (7.34 a.m. GMT) with the epicentre determined to be at 27.43 degrees north latitude and 65.67 degrees east longitude.