Heavy rainfall and flash floods kill at least 84, destroy 2 600 homes in Afghanistan

At least 84 people have died and almost 2 600 residential houses have been destroyed as heavy rainfall and flash floods hit Afghanistan in the past week, the National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) reported. Recent fatalities include six persons in Takhar Province after downpours struck Monday night, May 10.

The severe weather began on May 2, with the province of Herat being the worst affected. Days of heavy rainfall have affected 17 provinces in the country, said ANDMA.

Nearly 2 600 residential houses have been partially or totally destroyed, around 3 600 animals have perished, and more than 2 023 ha (5 000 acres) of farmland have been ravaged.

As of Monday, at least 84 fatalities have been reported, six of whom died on Monday night following heavy downpours and flash floods that swept away parts of Takhar, including provincial capital Taluqan.

Provincial police spokesman Abdul Khalil Asir added that several houses, gardens, and agricultural lands in Taluqan have been damaged, as well as properties in some districts, including Namakab, Kalafgan, and Bangi

"We have sent heavy machinery to clean and open the closed roads and highways," ANDMA spokesman Ahmad Tamim Azimi told the media. Search and rescue operations are underway to locate 32 people missing.

Flooding in summer has been a repeated hazard for the country. In 2019, similar floods killed more than 150 people and displaced 500 families in August. More than 10 000 houses were destroyed and 200 000 people were affected.

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