Pakistan landslide toll rises

It is feared many victims may still be unaccounted for

More than 150 people have died in flash floods and landslides that have hit northern Pakistan.

I remember suddenly being surrounded by water. We broke a wall to escape. There was water everywhere.

Local resident Mohammad Hashim

The worst-hit area is Mansehra district in North-West Frontier Province, where scores of houses were destroyed in mudslides caused by heavy rain which began before dawn on Monday.

Bodies were being dug out from beneath huge piles of mud, while others were dragged downstream by the raging current.

As funerals got under way for the victims, rescuers continued trying to find survivors amid fears that many people were still trapped.

Army deployed

In the village of Dadar, 78 bodies were recovered.

A local hospital reported more than 70 people had been injured, many of whom were in a critical condition.

Heavy lifting equipment has been sent in

And in the Buner district in Swat Valley, 29 people died.

The Pakistani army has been deployed to assist rescue workers, and heavy lifting equipment has been sent in.

There have been landslides in the past in this area.

Some local residents say they could be caused by deforestation which has led to widespread soil erosion in the area.

Reports were also coming in of landslides elsewhere in North-West Frontier Province, and local officials said they feared the death toll could rise as information came in from more remote areas.

Poorest areas hit

The capital Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi town were also affected.

Islamabad suffered its heaviest downpour in 100 years of recorded rainfall.

Mud homes in some of the poorest areas of the city collapsed, killing at least 30 people.

The government has issued urgent appeals to people living close to rivers and canals to leave their homes.

The country's military ruler, President Musharraf, visited areas of Rawalpindi hit by the flooding.

The torrential rainfall has also disrupted traffic and communications, with bridges washed away and main roads submerged.