Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Emergency Situations reported about casualties of the 8 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Kyrgyzstan Sunday night near the Chinese and Tajik borders.

“The Nura village of Alai region, Osh oblast, is the most destructed area. There 128 houses are completely destroyed, 60 people killed and about 100 injured, some seriously,” emergencies minister Kamchybek Tashiev informed the news agency “24.kg” Monday morning.

The Minister of Emergencies left for the emergency zone to coordinate the search and rescue operations and first aid treatment.

“High-altitude and desolation of the Nura village on Kyrgyzstan''s border with China significantly thwarts rescue operations and humanitarian aid delivery to the victim zone. The village is wiped off the face of the earth. The injured are being taken to the hospitals of the nearby Kyrgyz city of Osh by a helicopter,” the minister added.

The Kyrgyz emergencies ministry originally said it had no information of major destruction or casualties, however some time later the clarified information came out.

The ministry informs that Osh city experienced 6 magnitude earthquake, Batken-5-6, Bishkek-3.5, the epicenter 55 kilometers (35 miles) east-southeast of Sary-Tash , Kyrgyzstan, was rocked by a 8 magnitude temblor.

A helicopter with first humanitarian aid gathered by the Emergencies Ministry was sent to the area of destruction Sunday night.