Heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed at least 57 people in the past two days, many of them children, officials said Friday.

The relentless rain began lashing Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, on Wednesday, causing floods in several cities and across vast rural stretches.

Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing buildings, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Twenty-four were children, the agency said.

This is the latest extreme weather to hit Pakistan, which has seen intense heat waves and floods in recent years. Scientists and officials have linked these events to climate change.

This monsoon season in Pakistan began in late June, and the heavy rains have killed at least 180 people and injured hundreds more, the national disaster authority said. More than 80 of the dead were children.

Chakwal, around 60 miles south of Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, was among the hardest-hit areas. The floods inundated several villages.

— The Associated Press