Pak soldiers scrambled to get aid to victims of a powerful earthquake that has killed up to 300 people and left thousands of villagers homeless, officials said Friday. Relief goods started to reach remote villages that had received no aid in the 48 hours since the 6.4-magnitude quake struck before dawn on Wednesday in the impoverished southwestern province of Baluchistan. But harsh aftershocks kept thousands of people sleeping beneath the skies for two days under meagre blankets or scraps of fabric, raising fears that children and the elderly could be at risk from the cold. "The milk and medicine for children are too short. The food is also not enough for longer periods," social worker Mohammad Ismail told in Ziarat, the town at the epicentre of the disaster. Children could be seen running after cars on the road adjoining the affected areas begging for food and drink, witnesses said. Up to 15,000 people were left homeless by the disaster, officials said. Villagers begged for help after spending a second night sleeping in the open air. Many complained that their children were becoming sick because of the near-freezing conditions. Local authorities said that the provincial and federal governments had failed to offer sufficient help. Military and paramilitary troops have provided over 2,000 tents and 15 tonnes of food rations, Major General Mohammed Khan said. "We'll provide tents to people in a couple of days but reconstruction will definitely take some time," he said. But residents said the efforts were not enough.