At least 20 killed as rivers swell beyond their banks

The floods in eastern Punjab province began on Monday when an abnormal amount of rain triggered sudden water releases from Indian dams on the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi rivers

- 

Rescuers raced to evacuate tens of thousands of stranded Pakistanis hit by floods earlier this week, while many were left with no food or medical supplies on Friday as the government struggled to send help.

The floods in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province began on Monday when an abnormal amount of rain triggered sudden water releases from Indian dams on the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi rivers.

The rising floodwaters were the first to hit the region in four decades.

New Delhi last week alerted Islamabad about potential cross-border flooding.

Since then, nearly 300,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit areas, said Irfan Ali Kathia, director general of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority.

Twenty people have died in this week's floods in Punjab, raising the nationwide death toll to 820 since flash floods in late June, Kathia said.

Nearly 1,100 relief and medical camps are operating in the province to provide temporary shelter and treatment, with more medical camps being set up in flood-hit areas, he added.