| RESCUE workers have recovered at least 80 bodies from surging waters in south-west Pakistan where heavy rains caused a large dam to burst, sweeping hundreds of people into the Arabian sea, an official said. "Coast guards have so far pulled out 80 bodies from the floodwaters with fishing nets, while 400 are still missing," said Sher Jan Baluch, a provincial minister in Baluchistan province. The 150m-long Shakidor Dam burst late Thursday near remote Pasni village in Baluchistan, about 1900 kilometres south-west of the capital, Islamabad. Witnesses in Pasni and elsewhere described seeing trucks, tankers and cars swept out to sea in the deluge, which came amid harsh winter weather. The fast-flowing floodwaters washed away homes, telephone lines, roads and bridges. Villages near the town of Uthal - about 100km away from Pasni - were also hit by the floodwaters late Thursday, but there was no word on casualties. Pakistan has been hit by more than a week of heavy rain and snow. |