Ten days of storms across Afghanistan have caused floods, landslides and lightning that have killed 77 people and injured 137, officials said.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Widespread flooding, landslides and lightning caused by heavy rain and storm across Afghanistan have left 77 people dead and 137 injured over the past 10 days, the country’s Disaster Management Authority said Saturday.
More rain is forecast for the next few days across Afghanistan, and the authority warned the public to stay away from river banks and flood-prone areas.
So far this year, dozens of people have died due to extreme weather in Afghanistan, an impoverished country that is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. At the beginning of this yearheavy snowfall and flash floods left dozens of people dead all over the country.
The latest toll includes 26 people killed in the past 48 hours, the disaster authority said. Overall, 793 houses were completely destroyed and another 2,673 were damaged, while floods and landslides destroyed 337 kilometers (about 210 miles) of roads, he said.
Businesses, farmland, water wells and irrigation canals have also been damaged, with more than 5,800 families affected overall, the authority said.
Several highways connecting the country’s capital to the provinces have also been damaged by floods and landslides, forcing travelers to take long, circuitous routes to reach Kabul, Public Works Ministry spokesman Ashraf Haqshinas said on Saturday.
They include the Kabul to Jalalabad highway, which is the main road connecting the capital with the Pakistani border and the eastern Afghan provinces. A landslide and rockfall, as well as flooding, closed the highway Thursday morning, and Haqshinas said crews were working to reopen the road.
The Ministry of Public Works warned travelers to be careful when using the roads in the affected areas.
The floods have also closed the Salang Pass, a high mountain pass in the Hindu Kush mountain range that connects Kabul to the north of the country, including the main cities of Kunduz and Mazar-e-Sharif.
Snow and heavy rain often cause flash floods that kill dozens or even hundreds of people at a time in Afghanistan. In 2024, more than 300 people died in spring flash floods.
By ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN Associated Press
Elena Becatoros contributed from Kabul, Afghanistan.
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