Islamabad, Jul 27 (Prensa Latina) The heavy rains that hit Pakistan since the middle of this month left at least 53 dead, tens of thousands of affected people and significant economic damage, official sources reported today.

A statement from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that 31 people died in the northwestern district of Chital, the most affected by rainfalls.

Another six died in Punjab province (northeast), seven in Baluchistan (southwest), and nine in the northern territory of Azad Kashmir.

According to NDMA, over 350 villages were hit by the rains in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the latter province the authorities declared a state of alert in Chitral and neighboring districts of Nowshera, Peshawar and Charsadda.

National television showed images of several communities covered by the waters as its inhabitants tried to escape with the few belongings they had left.

Numerous areas like Kalash Valley and Ganache district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are cut off by land, forcing the army to start an air evacuation and provide basic necessities.

In that sense, the military Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that the armed forces rescued in recent days nearly 9,000 people and distributed 17,5 tons of food rations.

Meanwhile, a statement by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society reported floods in the cities of Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

With more than 20 million inhabitants, the southern city of Karachi was also hit by heavy rains, a month after the heat wave that killed there over thousand people.

By causing the death of more than 2,000 people and damages valued at billions of dollars, the 2010 monsoon season is considered the worst in the recent history of this country.