People walk through a flooded street following heavy rain in Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense says thunderstorms and flooding along the Red Sea coast have claimed the lives of 12 people over the past two days, half of them children.

The toll rose on Wednesday as authorities confirmed more deaths in an announcement on Twitter.

The six children who died in the provinces of Yanbu, Hail and on the outskirts of the coastal city of Jeddah either drowned or were swept away by floodwaters.

Rainfall and strong winds also affected parts of Makkah and Madinah, and the province of Tabuk.

For a third straight day this week, classes were suspended at schools and universities along some areas in Saudi Arabia’s northwest.

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