3 dead, 9 missing in Pakistan floods

Flash floods triggered by heavy rain on Wednesday killed at least three people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, as officials said there was "no chance" for nine more swept away by the waters. Rescue teams were at work in the Machiara ravine, around 40 kilometers (24 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the main city of the Pakistan-run part of the disputed territory, said Raja Muazzam, director of Kashmir's Disaster Management Authority. "We have recovered three dead bodies. Those who were swept away in the flood waters and are still missing include six men and three women," Ansar Yaqoob, a senior government official, told AFP. "The water level is still very high and has hampered the rescue operation. It seems that there is no chance for any survival." Floods in Pakistan in the summer of 2011 affected 5.8 million people, with flood waters killing livestock, destroying crops, homes and infrastructure as the nation struggled to recover from record inundations the previous year.