Authorities in northern Pakistan say heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 26 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

In Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, disaster management official Raja Sajjad Khan told VOA 1,000 families have been affected by the flooding and moved to higher ground. He says 750 homes have been damaged.

At least nine of the victims were killed in the nearby northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In 2010, Pakistan was hit by the worst floods in its 65-year history, with at least 1,700 people killed and 20-million people affected.

The chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, Zafar Iqbal Qadir, told VOA that unlike in previous years, his agency is prepared to rescue people and tackle any calamity.