70 Killed in Pakistan Heavy Monsoon Rains

(MENAFN- QNA) At least 11 people died and several others were injured on Friday as torrential rains wreaked havoc in north-eastern Punjab and Azad Kashmir, taking the death toll from the heavy downpour to 70.

Fifty-two deaths were reported from the rains until late on Thursday and the latest deaths have been reported from Rawalpindi, where four people died, Azad Kashmir, which also saw four dead and Sialkot where three fell victim to the heavy rainfall, Dawn news reported.

Heavy rains also lashed the capital, Islamabad, where thousands of opposition supporters have camped outside the parliament for weeks, demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resign over alleged voting fraud. The protesters used makeshift tents made from plastic sheets to shelter from the rains.

Pakistan regularly suffers from flooding during the monsoon season. In 2010, flash floods killed 1,700 people in Pakistan.