ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has expressed deep shock and grief over a devastating earthquake in Iran on Tuesday and offered assistance to deal with the disaster, officials said.

"The loss of precious lives and the plight of injured and displaced persons is being felt acutely here in Pakistan," President Musharraf said in a message to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

"We stand ready to render assistance to our Iranian brothers and sisters to deal with this calamity and provide any help for rescue, relief and rehabilitation that your government may consider most appropriate and effective," he said.

The powerful pre-dawn earthquake struck Iran's south eastern province of Kerman on Tuesday. Provincial governor Mohammad Ali Karimi said at least 400 people had been killed and more than 700 injured in the quake which measured 6.4 on the Richter scale. Hospitals in the region were overwhelmed and officials warned that the casualty toll could rise further. -AFP