Ammon News - At least 45 people have been killed across Pakistan as heavy rain and flash floods battered multiple regions since the onset of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.

The worst affected was the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, where 21 people, including 10 children, lost their lives. Fourteen of the deaths occurred in Swat Valley, where local media reported that a flash flood swept away families gathered near a riverbank.

In Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province located along the Indian border, 13 people have died since Wednesday. Officials said eight of them were children who died when walls or roofs collapsed during heavy rain, while the adults were killed in flash floods.

Another 11 fatalities have been reported in Sindh and Balochistan, further highlighting the widespread impact of the seasonal downpour.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rainfall and the risk of flash floods will persist until at least Saturday, urging residents in vulnerable areas to take precautions.

Last month, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian nation, which experienced several extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms.

Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 240 million residents are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.