At least 26 people were killed and 700 were reported missing in a flash flood triggered by the bursting of a dam in south west Pakistan's Gwadar district.

The flood had washed away villages and many of those reported missing were feared dead or marooned, sources said.

The Shadi Kor dam in Pasni tehsil burst on Thursday following heavy rains, Baluchistan Minister Syed Sher Jan Baloch told reporters in provincial capital Quetta.

"The dam was washed away around 1900 hrs because of accumulation of rainwater beyond its capacity. Half the Pasni tehsil's population (of 5,000) is now trapped in the floodwater. I have received information about the death of 26 people and some of the bodies have been recovered," local daily The News quoted him as saying.

Troops have been called in for rescue operations, reports said.