Musharraf promises flood relief

Torrential rains have caused damage across Pakistan

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has toured the scene of Thursday's floods in the south of the country, affecting more than 30,000 people.

Mr Musharraf promised financial assistance to people who have lost family members or their homes.

Officials in Balochistan province say at least 80 people have died and hundreds are missing after a dam burst near Pasni, following heavy rains.

Dozens have died elsewhere in avalanches and landslides.

They include more than 30 people killed in a valley in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, when their homes were buried under an avalanche.

And, on the border with Afghanistan, 30 soldiers are feared killed in a landslide.

They lost radio contact with their base on Thursday.

Unspecified compensation

Officials in Balochistan said five villages were swept away when rains breached the Shadikor dam near Pasni, 650km (400 miles) from the provincial capital, Quetta.

About 3,000 personnel from the army, navy, coastguard and civil emergency organisations have been called in for the rescue operation, amid fears the casualty figures could rise.

President Musharraf flew into the flood-stricken area to see the aftermath of the surge: bridges crumpled, roads torn up, homes flattened in an instant.

He promised unspecified compensation for the victims, as well as rebuilding destroyed infrastructure.

He said the casualty figures were not as high as initially feared, but that the destruction to property was worse.

General Musharraf praised the rapid response of the navy and the army, leading efforts to rescue hundreds of marooned people by helicopter.

In most parts the roads are inundated and unusable. More aid, food, medicine and tents is now arriving.

More rain on way

More than 1,000 people have been airlifted to safety but more remain stranded on roofs, and on high ground near Pasni.

"Coast guards have so far pulled out 80 bodies..., while 400 are missing," minister Sher Jan Baluch said.

In pictures: Flood misery

Continuing rain has compounded the misery and made the operation more difficult.

Power and telephone lines as well as roads were also damaged.

Some of the dead were travelling along the main southern coastal highway and were swept into the Arabian Sea when the floodwaters struck.

Already questions are being asked about how a dam completed just two years ago and built to capture water for irrigation in a normally parched province could have failed with such devastating consequences, says the BBC's Paul Anderson in Islamabad.

Meteorological experts said some parts of Pakistan had received the heaviest rain and snow in seven years.

Heavy rain is expected to continue for at least the next two days.