The death toll from a week of sweltering heat in Pakistan rose to at least 89 today, as temperatures touched 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and hundreds of people were taken to hospital with sunstroke and dehydration, officials said.

More than 400 people are missing in a remote area of south-western Pakistan after heavy rains caused a large dam to burst, sweeping villagers into the Arabian Sea, a provincial official said today.