The death in flooding in Pakistan rose to toll rose to 870 on Saturday as rescue workers tried to reach tens of thousands of people stranded in the north-west of the country. Rivers bloated by monsoon rains have submerged thousands of villages, and inundated millions of acres agricultural land, dpa reported. Rescue workers have struggled to reach the affected areas because dozens of bridges have been washed away and roads blocked. According to provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, more than 800 deaths had been confirmed. Flooding in the Pakistan-administered Kashmir region claimed 57 lives. Thirteen more people died in the central province of Punjab where large areas were flooded. Authorities say more than 100 people have been reported missing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the worst-hit area with more than 400,000 people displaced. Hundreds of soldiers were deployed to assist in the area's worst flooding since 1982. Soldiers have moved 14,250 people to safety, including 2,800 tourists stranded in the mountain resort of Kalam, the military said, adding that 17 military helicopters and an unspecified number of motorboats were being used in the operation. In far flung areas, including the mountainous region of Malkand, those marooned were reportedly facing a severe food shortage. Fatigue and lack of water were causing diseases such as fever and diarrhoea. Hussain appealed to the international community to provide immediate help to prevent "a major humanitarian disaster." The United Nations said Saturday that 1 million people were affected by flooding in Pakistan, while 26,000 were marooned in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The world body pledged support for the victims. -- SPA
