India, Pakistan scramble to help flood victims as death toll reaches 400

The death toll from floods in Pakistan and India reached 400 on Tuesday as armies in both countries scrambled to help the victims and authorities in Islamabad warned of more flooding in the days ahead.

The flash floods, which began on September 3, have put more than half a million people in peril and rendered thousands homeless in the two neighbouring states.

Pakistani and Indian troops have been using boats and helicopters to drop food supplies for stranded families and evacuate victims.

The floods have also triggered landslides in both sections of the divided Kashmir region, split between the two arch-rivals, and caused much devastation in northern and eastern Pakistan.

The rains washed away houses, bridges, communication equipment and crops. Pakistani and Indian troops have evacuated more than 40,000 people to safer places, according to the statements from Indian and Pakistani armies.

So far, 205 have died in Pakistan while 200 perished in India, while nearly 700 people have been injured, officials said.