Flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Afghanistan kill at least 17 people

The severe weather also disrupted daily life across central, northern, southern, and western regions.

Kabul: The season's first heavy rains and snowfall ended a prolonged dry spell but triggered flash floods in several areas of Afghanistan, killing at least 17 people and injuring 11 others, a spokesman for Afghanistan's national disaster management authority said Thursday.

FILE PHOTO: Workers load supplies onto a truck for earthquake victims in Nurgal district, Kunar province in Afghanistan. REUTERS/Sayed Hassib/File Photo (REUTERS)

The severe weather also disrupted daily life across central, northern, southern, and western regions, according to Mohammad Yousaf Hammad, who is spokesman for Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority.

He said the floods also damaged infrastructure in the affected districts, killed livestock, and affected 1,800 families, worsening conditions in already vulnerable urban and rural communities.

Hammad said the agency has sent assessment teams to the worst-affected areas, with surveys ongoing to determine further needs.

Afghanistan, like neighbouring Pakistan and India, is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, particularly flash floods following seasonal rains.

Decades of conflict, poor infrastructure, deforestation, and the intensifying effects of climate change have amplified the impact of such disasters, especially in remote areas where many homes are made of mud and offer limited protection against sudden deluges. (AP) SCY SCY