Sixty-five people were killed and 50 more injured in the strong earthquake that rocked southern Kyrgyzstan Sunday night, the Interfax news agency reported Monday citing emergency officials.

In the village of Nura, which lies about 50 km from the epicenter of the earthquake and has a population of nearly 1000, 120 buildings were destroyed, an Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman said.

The rescue operation was still going on in the region hit by the 6.3-magnitude quake.

The Health Ministry has set up a crisis center to help those injured in the quake, but rescue efforts remained difficult, Interfax said.

"The remoteness of the village hit by the earthquake, the absence of means of communications and the destruction of roads are hindering the assistance to the injured," the ministry's press service said.

The ministry is planning to set up a field hospital in the immediate vicinity of the village and several regional hospitals have been prepared to treat the injured.

(Xinhua News Agency October 6, 2008)