Troops in helicopters brought badly needed relief supplies to flood-swamped villages in southwestern Pakistan, as the nationwide death toll from a week of heavy rain and snow climbed past 360.

Rescue workers have recovered at least 80 bodies from surging waters in a remote south-west province of Pakistan, where heavy rains caused a large dam to burst, sending torrents of water through the streets and sweeping hundreds of people into the Arabian sea.

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.

The United States and its allies were today moving to seal off potential escape routes - even at sea - for terror chief Osama bin Laden.