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Pakistan, India Flood Death Toll Passes 200
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Monsoon rains and flash floods in northern Pakistan and India have killed more than 200 people so far, while hundreds have been injured and tens of thousands have lost homes. Officials in Pakistan said Saturday the death toll there has reached about 110, most of them caused when roofs of homes collapsed. The government has dispatched army rescue teams in helicopters and boats to take stranded people to safer places. Officials say some 4,000 homes across the country have collapsed partially or completely in the heavy rains and flash floods. The situation is no better across the border in India's northern states, where more than 100 people have been killed. Authorities declared a disaster alert in northern areas after heavy rain inundated towns and villages. Omar Abdullah, chief minister for India's Jammu and Kashmir State, said the flood is the worst in two decades. "In Kashmir areas there are around 3,000 villages and around 390 villages are submerged under water, and 1125 are affected by flood," he said. "In Jammu province, 3,325 villages and 1,110 villages are under partially or fully flood affected." Weather officials say the rain will begin to subside gradually starting on Sunday.
Some information for this report comes from AP, AFP and Reuters.