A mudslide triggered by heavy monsoon rain kills 12 people, mostly children, in northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A mudslide triggered by heavy monsoon rain hit a house in a remote part of northwestern Pakistan, killing 12 people, mostly children, a rescue official said Friday.

Inayat Ali, an official of the state-run emergency service, said the mudslide happened overnight in Upper Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near Afghanistan. He said rescuers retrieved the bodies of nine children, two women and a man.

Ali provided no further details.

Authorities have warned that ongoing heavy rain, which began last month, could cause landslides and flash floods across Pakistan. Since July 1, more than 275 people have died in rain-related incidents in various parts of the country.

Pakistan’s annual monsoon season runs from July through September. Scientists have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years.

In 2022, downpours inundated one-third of the country, killing 1,739 people.