More than 200 people remain missing in one district of north-west Pakistan as a result of devastating monsoon flooding and landslides, an official has said. Flash floods have killed more than 300 people in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in recent days, with most of the deaths recorded in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistani authorities on Sunday defended their response to flash floods that killed more than 200 people in a single northwestern district last week.

A sudden flash flood, triggered by heavy rain, swept through northwest Pakistan, wreaking havoc across towns and villages and claiming over 300 lives in just 24 hours, including five crew members of a rescue helicopter.

A provincial emergency service spokesperson says a massive cloudburst triggered flash floods in northwestern Pakistan and has killed at least 157 people, including women and children.