In Pakistan's Jhang district, residents on Monday waded through waters carrying their belongings as the country continues to be hit by massive floods.

Locals said they had waited for rescuers before crossing on their own in nearly 5-foot (1 1/2-meter) - deep water to reach safety, while many others remained stranded.

It come as emergency workers in Pakistan's Punjab province used drones to find people stranded on rooftops as the government expanded its rescue operation with more than 850,000 evacuated.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned of more heavy rain in Punjab’s flood-hit districts and elsewhere in the country, where weeks of above-normal rainfall and the release of huge volumes of water from dams in neighboring India last week caused rivers to overflow into low-lying regions.

Authorities say the country's most populous Punjab province faced its biggest flood on record.

Since last week, rescuers, backed by the military and emergency services, have evacuated more than 850,000 people, said Irfan Ali Kathia, director general of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority.

More than 500,000 farm animals were also moved to safety, he said.

The Punjab government said drones were deployed this week in Multan, Jhang and other districts.

On dusty roadside embankments, displaced families complained of being abandoned.

They now shelter under the open sky without tents or food.

Authorities in Punjab say they had set up more than 1,000 relief camps, but government figures show that only about 36,550 of over 800,000 evacuees are housed in them.

It is unclear where the vast majority were staying.

AP video shot by Jahanzaib