Death toll in Pakistan floods rises to 344

(Patria) - The death toll from flash floods and inundations caused by heavy rains in Pakistan has risen to 344, officials said.

Most of the fatalities were recorded in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 328 people died and 143 were injured in flood-related incidents, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

In the last 48 hours, five more people died in Gilgit-Baltistan and nine in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir, known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Due to the continued threat of heavy rains, schools were closed on Saturday in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Dozens of houses have been damaged in the affected areas, and communications have been disrupted in many parts due to damage to mobile towers.

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province declared a state of emergency in all flood-affected areas as the death toll rises, and search and rescue operations for missing persons are ongoing.

Monsoon rains, which typically last from June to September, often cause devastation across South Asia, including Pakistan, but climate change in recent years has increased their unpredictability and intensity.