Iran commiserates with Pakistan on flood

Iran has offered its condolences to the Pakistani nation and government over recent deadly flooding.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham voiced regret over the floods in the Pakistani province of Punjab and the disputed Indian-administered Kashmir and expressed sympathy with the bereaved and the affected families.

She wished those injured a speedy recovery and voiced the Islamic Republic’s readiness to help and provide aid.

According to latest reports, five days of rains and flash floods have left almost 300 people dead in large swathes of northern India and Pakistan.

Rescuers have been using helicopters and boats to reach tens of thousands of stranded residents in the flood-hit regions as floodwaters rose and submerged hundreds of villages.

The incident has claimed the lives of 103 people only in Punjab, said Ali Imam Syed, a senior official in the province's rescue agency.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the floods as a "national level disaster" and promised nearly $200 million in aid and compensation.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also raised concern over the deaths and destructions caused by the rains and floods.