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A strong earthquake in northern Afghanistan was felt across much of South Asia on Monday, shaking buildings from Kabul to Delhi, cutting power and communications in some areas and killing at least 18 people, The Associated Press reported.

The United States Geological Survey said the epicenter of the 7.5-magnitude earthquake was in the far northern province of Badakhshan, which borders Tajikistan and China. It said the epicenter was 213 kilometers (130 miles) deep and 73 kilometers (45 miles) south of the Badakhshan capital, Fayzabad.

In Takhar province, west of Badakhshan, at least 12 students at a girls' school were killed in a stampede as they fled shaking buildings, said Sonatullah Taimor, the spokesman for the provincial governor. Another 30 girls were taken to the hospital in the provincial capital of Taluqan.

In Pakistan, at least five people died when homes collapsed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Mohammad Bilal, a rescue official. He said more than 100 people were wounded in the area. State-run Pakistani TV had earlier reported that a person died when a roof collapsed in the eastern city of Kasur, bringing the total known toll from the quake to 18.