Heavy rainstorms kill 15 in northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Officials in Pakistan say violent rainstorms in the northwest have caused at least 15 deaths and injured dozens.

Latif Khan, a senior disaster management official, says Sunday that most of the deaths from the severe weather overnight were caused by the collapse of mud and stone walls and houses. He says the heavy rains also caused flash flooding in some places.

Another official, Inayatur Rehman, said the roof of a seminary collapsed in the Bajur tribal region, killing six children and injuring nine.

In the cities of Nowshera and Peshawar, motorists were killed and wounded by falling billboards and downed electrical cables

Khan says rescue and relief operations are ongoing, meaning the toll could rise.