Over 110 people killed in rains in southern Pakistan

KARACHI, Sep 19 (Reuters) More than 110 people have been killed in seasonal rains in southern Pakistan as fears rose of an outbreak of water borne diseases in the city of Hyderabad, officials said today.

Southern Sindh province has received above average rains this year, which has also damaged the crops.

''We have 112 deaths in the rain-hit areas due to drowning, collapse of houses and diseases,'' provincial relief commissioner Anwar Haider said.

Shabbir Qaimkhani, the provincial health minister said that Hyderabad, 160 km (90 miles) from Karachi, was worst-hit by the rains. Vaccines and water-purifying tablets were being distributed to prevent spread of diseases.

Around 230 mm of rain was recorded in Hyderabad on September. 8 and 9 and most areas of the city are still submerged.

Haider said agriculture land in many areas in Sindh was still submerged and estimates for crop losses were being made.

The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture said that crop losses would cause a hike in the prices of commodities like wheat and rice especially during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan beginning at the weekend.

REUTERS DKA PM1910