Pakistan ordered businesses, schools and public offices in Karachi to shut on Wednesday after torrential monsoon rain left at least 10 people dead in the densely populated port city, with more heavy downpours predicted.

Pakistan has issued a flood alert for some southern districts, warning of torrential rains, as rescue teams continued searching for missing people in the northwest, where severe floods have killed hun

Anguished Pakistanis are searching remote areas for bodies swept away by weekend flash floods as the death toll has reached 277.

Severe monsoonal flooding has caused widespread devastation across Pakistan, destroying homes and sweeping away entire villages.

Pakistan has restored 70 percent of electricity service and reopened damaged roads in the north and northwest after flash floods killed more than 300 people, officials say. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that engineers were working to fully restore the electricity system that was knocked out by flooding last week.

Pakistan has received higher-than-normal monsoon rainfall this year, triggering floods and mudslides that have killed more than 540 people since June 26.

Pakistani authorities are defending their response to flash floods that killed more than 200 people in a single northwestern district this week.