Peshawar: At least 12 members of a family, including nine children, were killed when a house collapsed due to a landslide triggered by heavy rains in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, officials said. Police said the incident took place in Maidan area of ​​Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. All 12 bodies were retrieved from the debris and rushed to a hospital for medico-legal formalities, officials said. 

Heavy rain and thunderstorm expected across the country

Dawn newspaper quoted an official as saying that two women, one man and nine children were killed in the incident. Pakistan has been receiving heavy seasonal rains in recent days. Monsoon season in Pakistan lasts from July to September. Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms across the country during the next 24 hours. 

Fear of landslides

The Meteorological Department said in a statement that heavy rainfall is expected in Sindh, North-East/South Balochistan, North-East/Central Punjab, Potohar region, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during this period. Due to heavy rains, landslides are expected in Murree, Galiat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A 'severe' cyclonic storm is also expected in the north-east Arabian Sea along the coast of Pakistan's coastal area Sindh. (Language)