Kabul, July 21 (IANS) At least 20 people have been killed and over 80 others injured due to floods in Parun city of Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, local media reported on Tuesday.
Highlighting a statement released by Taliban authorities, Afghanistan’s Khaama Press news agency reported that more than 100 people still remain missing after floods in Parun and nearby areas.
In a statement, the Taliban-run National Disaster Management Authority said that heavy floods had impacted Parun and several other areas of Nuristan, causing significant casualties and damage.
The National Disaster Management Authority’s head of information and publications and spokesperson, Hafiz Mohammad Yousuf Hamad, said specialised teams had been rushed to the impacted areas to analyse the situation, search for missing people and find the extent of the damage.
Residential homes, agricultural land and shops were damaged or destroyed due to floods, causing heavy financial losses. Hamad said the casualty figures could change as search and rescue operations continue in the flood-affected areas.
With over 100 people reported missing, the authorities fear that the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue to conduct search for survivors and those who may have been swept away by the floods, Khaama Press reported.
The floods were reported after heavy rainfall in parts of Nuristan, where mountainous area and limited road access could make it difficult to carry out rescue operations.
Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, including landslides, droughts and floods.
In May, six people were killed and 11 others injured after strong winds and thunderstorms struck Afghanistan’s provinces of Kandahar, Herat, Ghor and Takhar.
According to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), roads, wells, agricultural land, trees and hundreds of solar panels were destroyed due to strong winds and thunderstorms, Afghanistan-based Tolo News reported.
ANDMA spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Hamad said, “Six people were killed and 11 others injured due to thunderstorms, lightning, storms and floods in Kandahar, Herat, Takhar and Ghor provinces. 20 houses were completely destroyed and 10 others were partially damaged.”
–IANS
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