Thousands stranded by floods and landslides in north-west Pakistan

Officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province say they are consulting the military about a rescue operation

Rescuers are attempting to reach thousands of people stranded by floods and landslides in Pakistan's north-west and parts of Kashmir after the death toll rose to 55.

Disaster management officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 47 people have died since the downpour began on Saturday night, said they were consulting the military about a rescue operation there amid fears the death toll could still climb. "We are trying to arrange a helicopter to reach the people stuck under debris of their houses," Latifur Rehman, a spokesman for the provincial disaster management authority, told AFP.