Heavy rains claim over 40 lives in Pakistan

At least forty people including three soldiers have been killed in rain related incidents in Punjab province, east Pakistan, and the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir on Thursday.
Rizwan Naseer, the director general of rescue services in Punjab confirmed the death toll and said the injured were being moved to hospitals.
"We have been removing the debris to search for survivors and the injured, "Naseer said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise as more information came in from around the province.
Police and rescue officials confirmed that fifteen people have died in provincial capital Lahore and seven people lost their lives in districts of Sialkot and Gujranwala.
A rescue service spokesman, Jam Sajjad said: "At least 25 people have been killed in different incidents of roof collapses in Punjab province during the last 24 hours." Three people died due to electrocution in Lahore and two others in Kasur city, he added. Disaster management agency chairman Akram Sohail told the media that in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, 10 people were killed and four others injured due to rain related incidents. He said there had been some flash flooding in the Himalayan territory and warned that the rivers Jhelum and Neelum were close to overflowing in some areas. Three soldiers were also killed in a mudslide near the de facto border with India in Kashmir.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif earlier today directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to coordinate with authorities in Punjab and ensure immediate rescue and relief activities in rain-hit areas.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department had sent out a warning that all rivers in Punjab province would likely be in "very high" to "exceptionally high" flood from September 5 to 7 because of forecasted heavy rains in various parts of the country.