Death toll from Pakistan floods reaches 430

THE death toll from three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 430 yesterday, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and triggered landslides.

Pakistani TV showed striking images of people clinging to fences and other stationary items as water gushed over their heads. Helicopters were also shown winching people to safety.

The rising toll from the monsoon rains underscores the poor infrastructure in impoverished Pakistan, where under-equipped rescue workers struggled to reach people stranded in far-flung villages. The weather forecast was mixed, with some areas expected to see reduced rainfall and others likely to see an intensification.