Islamabad , Pakistan ( CNN ) -- An earthquake in Pakistan , powerful enough to prompt the appearance of a small island off the coast , has killed at least 330 people , Pakistani officials said . The 7.7-magnitude quake struck Tuesday in a remote , sparsely populated area of southwestern Pakistan , but it had severe consequences . At least 330 people have lost their lives , a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority said Wednesday . In addition to the fatalities , 445 people were injured , he said . And more people are still feared to be trapped in wreckage . Images from the scene showed some buildings reduced to rubble . `` Still , there are some areas that are not accessible , '' a spokesman for the Red Crescent told CNN . `` So that toll can be increased , '' Khalid Bin Majeed said about the number of deaths . `` When we reach all the areas , then there will be a clear picture . '' Rescue efforts are under way in the heavily hit districts of Awaran and Kech in Balochistan province . But severely damaged communications networks are hindering the operation , said Jan Muhammad Buledi , a spokesman for the provincial government . Thousands of survivors from the earthquake are facing difficulties in the two districts , he added , saying that authorities have received offers of support from Iran and Turkey . The Pakistani military has deployed more than 1,000 troops to the affected area to help with rescue and relief efforts , some of them traveling in helicopters and others in convoy on mountain roads . About 10,000 food packs have been sent to the region . Each pack can feed a family for 15 days . The troops are entering a difficult region . Militants fighting for a separate state in Balochistan operate out of part of Awaran district , which has been the site of bombings in the past . The remoteness of the area means that some of the injured are having to be airlifted to major cities such as Quetta , the capital of Balochistan , and Karachi , the capital of neighboring Sindh province . Measuring the magnitude of earthquakes . Island emerges . The quake was strong enough to cause a mass 20 to 30 feet high to emerge from the Arabian Sea like a small mountain island off the coast of Gwadar , local police official Mozzam Jah said . A large number of people gathered to view the newly formed island , he said . Large quakes can cause significant deformation to the earth 's crust , particularly visible along coastlines . The island is about 100 feet in diameter and about one mile off the coast , GEO TV reported . Zahid Rafi , principal seismologist for the National Seismic Monitoring Center , confirmed the island had formed . He said it was `` not surprising , '' considering the magnitude of the earthquake . But John Bellini , a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey , said that generally it would be unlikely for a large island to emerge from such a quake as Tuesday 's . Many things , such as the tide , could come into play regarding the rise of the island , he said . With a depth of about nine miles ( about 15 kilometers ) , the quake struck 43 miles ( 69 kilometers ) northeast of Awaran and 71 miles ( 114 kilometers ) northwest of Bela , the U.S. Geological Survey said . The tremors lasted two minutes . People flocked out onto the streets of Quetta . Aftershocks could be felt in Karachi , hundreds of miles to the southeast . CNN 's Saima Mohsin and journalist Sophia Saifi reported from Pakistan . CNN 's Mari Ramos and Elizabeth Joseph also contributed to this report .
NEW : The death toll could climb as authorities access hard - to - reach areas , a spokesman says . Hundreds more are injured in powerful earthquake . Rescue efforts are under way with people still being trapped under rubble . Shock powerful enough to create small island in Arabian Sea , officials say .