Saturday, February 12 2005 15:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Quetta, Pakistan: At least 60 people were killed and hundreds missing in Pakistan after a dam burst and swept whole villages into the sea, officials said yesterday (Feb 11, 2005), as the death toll from a week of record rains hit 122.

A wall of melted snow and rainwater escaped from the ruptured Shadi Kor dam near the coastal town of Pasni in southwestern Baluchistan province late Thursday (Feb 10, 2005), washing away people, houses, cars and buses in its path.

"It's a big disaster," provincial Minister for coastal areas Sher Jan said.

"About half a dozen villages have been submerged after the dam burst its embankment. I can confirm that 60 people have died," he said. Asked how many people were missing, he replied, "Since it's a large area, which has been inundated it could be in the hundreds."