Kathmandu: The death toll from devastating flash floods triggered by torrential rains in central Afghanistan has surged to 26, with more than 40 people reported missing, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The floods have wreaked havoc in the region, causing extensive damage to property and farmland.
Shafiullah Rahimi, the spokesperson for Afghanistan’s State Ministry for Disaster Management, disclosed that the nationwide death toll from the floods had reached 31 since Friday.
The situation remains critical, prompting an urgent response from the government to provide aid to the main disaster zone in the Jalrez district of Maidan Wardak province.
Despite being situated on the western edge of the Asian monsoon footprint, Afghanistan experiences regular flash floods during the wet season, as heavy rainfall surges through dry riverbeds.
The disaster has left 604 houses either fully or partially destroyed in Jalrez alone, along with vast swathes of agricultural land and orchards completely wiped out since the onset of the floods.
According to Rahimi, over the past four months, the nation has witnessed 214 fatalities in incidents related to natural disasters, further highlighting the grave challenges posed by such weather events.
The authorities are working tirelessly to provide immediate assistance to the affected communities and are closely monitoring the situation as rescue and relief efforts intensify.
The disaster has once again underscored the vulnerability of the region to sudden and catastrophic natural calamities, necessitating coordinated efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and response mechanisms in Afghanistan.
