Pakistan deaths rise

ANGUISHED Pakistanis were searching remote areas yesterday for bodies swept away by weekend flash floods, as the death toll reached 277 people.

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The death toll in the mountainous district of Buner, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, reached that number yesterday after rescuers recovered three more bodies, were emergency services spokesman Mohammad Suhail said.

The search operations have been extended to remote areas to find residents swept away by floods that hit the province last Friday, according to Mr Suhail. The army has deployed engineers and heavy machinery to clear the rubble.

Villagers have accused officials of not telling them to evacuate ahead of flooding and landslides. There was no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method for alerting emergencies in remote areas.