Middle East

Flash floods kill dozens in Afghanistan

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The death fool from recent heavy rain and flash floods have risen to 40 people in Afghanistan. The Taliban disaster management officials said nearly 60 others were wounded in the flood and their team scrambled to help the affected families.

24 people lost their lives after flash foods ripped through the western Farah province, and 31 others have been injured with women and children among them. Another three people were killed when a hail storm caused their house to collapse in the same province.

According to the local sources, the floods washed away several homes in Qala Ka, Bakwa, Pushtkoh, and Gulistan and Farah Rod districts.

Describing the destruction, Hadis, a 25 year old man, told Harici that floodwaters carried people, including women and children. The floods also destroyed everything and all the lands were flooded away and the weather was extremely cold, making it difficult for the rescue team to help the trapped individuals.

He also said that he didn’t see such wind, rain and storm in his 25 years old life, and said that the floods blew away everything made of wood and now the people are in dire need of help.

Number of deaths in Kandahar jumped to 11 and another six people died in Helmand

Taliban officials said that around 50 houses and 60 shops had been damaged and nearly 3000 solar panels were also destroyed.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths in Kandahar increased to 11 from nine and in Helmand it rose to six. Previously it was reported only one and another 16 people were wounded. In another disaster, a child was struck by lightning and lost his life in Helmand province.

Abdullah Jan Sayeq, spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said that floods was indeed a big disaster but said that the downpours may help improve long-term drought conditions in several provinces including flood provinces.

“Of course, we are sad that our countrymen lost their lives in the floods and we do whatever we can to help the family of the victims. And at the same time these provinces were suffering from drought and the recent floods could remove the risk now,” he told Harici.

At the same time there is constant rain and snow in most of the provinces which definitely reduces the drought, he added.

Afghanistan remained one of the poorest countries in the world due to enduring war added with drought, floods, land degradation and declining agriculture productivity. Afghanistan is ranked as the country sixth most vulnerable to climate change.

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