At least 1,500 die in Pakistan floods

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- More evacuations were ordered in Pakistan Wednesday as bloated rivers threatened to surge into the southern part of the country, officials said.

More than 1,500 people have been killed as a result of a monsoon season that has caused the worst flooding in Pakistan's recent history, Dawn News reported.

Floodwaters ravaged hundreds of villages in the populous province of Punjab Wednesday, destroying homes, soaking crops and threatening more lives.

The floodwaters deluged entire villages and some urban centers in Punjab after causing huge destruction in Pakistan's northwest.

The Pakistani military used boats and helicopters to move stranded residents to higher ground.

At least 30,000 people were rescued from flood-ravaged zones over a 72-hour period, said military spokesman Maj. Gen. Nadir Zeb.

In a typical year, monsoon season in Pakistan usually lasts about three months through mid-September.

This year's rains are falling about 25 percent to 30 percent above normal rates, the National Weather Forecasting Center in Islamabad said.