At least 23 people were killed in the past 24 hours in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while seven were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, regional disaster management authorities said.

A cloudburst washed away several houses in northwestern Bajaur district, killing 16 people and stranding more than 20 others, the provincial disaster agency told AFP.

The meteorological department has also issued a heavy rain alert for the northwest, urging people to avoid "unnecessary exposure to vulnerable areas".

The annual monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its rainfall, which is vital for agriculture and food security, but also brings destruction.

In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people.

strs-zz/lb