BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - The death toll has risen to 72 in a powerful earthquake that levelled a village Kyrgyzstan.
The 6.6-magnitude quake near the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia hit the remote village of Nura hard.
Officials say the tremor brought down dozens of buildings and injured more than 100 people in addition to the 72 confirmed deaths.
Emergency Situations Minister Kamchybek Tashiyev said a helicopter was ferrying the most seriously hurt to hospitals in the southern regional centre of Osh, 100 kilometres away.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicentre of late Sunday's magnitude-6.6 quake was in Kyrgyzstan. It was followed by a 5.1 magnitude quake a few hours later on Monday.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties elsewhere.
"What we've seen is terrible, the village of Nura is completely destroyed -- 100 per cent," Tashiyev said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry to help Kyrgyzstan respond to the quake.
