ISLAMABAD — Death toll reached 304 from more than five weeks of monsoon rains and flash flooding across Pakistan.

The deluge swallowed rivers and damaged highways and bridges, disrupting traffic.

Almost 9,000 homes have been fully destroyed or partially damaged, the AP reported.

Particularly hard-hit was the volatile, impoverished southwestern Baluchistan province, where 99 people died in rain-related incidents and subsequent flooding, followed by 70 dead in southern Sindh province.

There have also been 61 fatalities in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, and 60 in eastern Punjab province.

The dead include women and children, and at least 284 people have been injured.

Every year, much of Pakistan struggles with the annual monsoons, drawing criticism about poor government planning. — Agencies