Thousands evacuated in Pakistan due to floods
Thousands of people living near flooded riverbeds in northern Pakistan received government orders on Saturday to evacuate their homes after torrential monsoon rains left nearly 1,000 people dead.
Valleys in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province overflowed, destroying dozens of buildings, including a 150-room hotel that was washed away.
The annual monsoon rains, which usually run from June to September, are important for irrigating crops and replenishing lakes and dams across the Indian subcontinent, but they also bring with them a wave of devastation and tragedies every year.
The Pakistani government revealed that the floods affected more than 33 million people and destroyed about a million homes completely or seriously.
On Saturday, authorities ordered thousands of Swat residents to evacuate their homes before the rivers overflowed.
Authorities say this year's floods are comparable to those of 2010 - the worst ever - when more than 2,000 people died and about a fifth of the country's population was trapped.
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