Flash floods kill 20 in eastern Afghan province

Logar province's Natural Disaster Management Ministry chief said it was still unknown how many were killed and injured by the rising waters but that there were at least nine fatalities.

Updated - August 21, 2022 10:24 pm IST

Published - August 21, 2022 04:34 pm IST - ISLAMABAD

People collect their belongings from their damaged homes after heavy flooding in the Khushi district of Logar province south of Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 21, 2022.

People collect their belongings from their damaged homes after heavy flooding in the Khushi district of Logar province south of Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 21, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP

Heavy rains triggered flash floods in the eastern Afghan province of Logar, killing at least 20 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, officials said on Sunday.

The rains lashed several areas of the province on Saturday, injuring more than 30 people, the provincial Governor’s office said.

The floods also destroyed dozens of canals and about 5,000 acres of agricultural land, mainly orchards, the statement said, with about 2,000 livestock also killed.

Scores of Afghans die every year from floods and torrential downpours, particularly in impoverished rural areas where poorly built homes are often at risk of collapse.

Security forces and charity organisations were evacuating people to safe areas after their houses were destroyed, the provincial government said.

Government spokesman Bilal Karimi, in a separate statement, urged the international community to provide aid. “We urgently request the international community... to join hands with the Afghans at this critical time and (to) spare no effort to help the victims,” Mr. Karimi said.

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