Monsoon rains lash Pakistan; 9 killed in country’s southwest

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — At least nine people, including women and children, were killed as heavy rains lashed southwestern Pakistan and triggered flash floods in several places, a provincial disaster management agency said Tuesday.

Seven people died when the roofs of their homes collapsed in the downpour overnight in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, the agency said.

Two bodies swept away by floods were found near a dam Tuesday. There were fears the death toll could be higher as several people were still missing. Rescuers used boats to search for those missing.

Authorities say the latest spell of torrential rains, which started on Monday and continued on Tuesday, also damaged dozens of homes in Baluchistan.

Since June, rains have killed 38 people and damaged more than 200 homes across Pakistan, including in Baluchistan, where over the weekend, a passenger bus skidded off a road and fell into a deep ravine amid heavy rain, killing 19 people.

Floods triggered by seasonal monsoon rains wreak havoc in Pakistan every year, killing dozens.

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