Rain and flooding kills 18 in Pakistan

Officials said at least eighteen people have died due to severe rain, flooding and snow in parts of Pakistan. Roof collapses and electrocution alone have left more than a dozen people dead and injured, Pakistani News Agency NNI said. Several mud houses have also collapsed. Geo TV News said a family of six was washed away in floods in Haripur, and three died in an avalanche in Shangla. Three others died when a roof and wall of two buildings collapsed in Hafizabad and Swabi. Pakistan Meteorological Department said the rain, which began Sunday, will persist until Wednesday. Flights at the Islamabad and Karachi airports have also been canceled due to the weather, Pakistani News Agency NNI reported.