AP
A man sits near his damaged home after severe flooding in Maidan Wardak province in central Afghanistan on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
CNN –
At least 31 people were killed in devastating flash floods that hit parts of Afghanistan over the weekend, authorities said on Sunday.
In a news conference from Kabul, Shafiullah Rahimi, spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Disaster Management, added that 74 people were injured and at least 41 were still missing.
Flash floods caused by heavy seasonal rains in seven provinces of Afghanistan have partially or completely damaged 606 homes and hundreds of hectares of farmland, Rahimi said.
“Teams from the ministry, along with teams from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Public Welfare, the Red Crescent, provincial officials and other officials, reached the flood sites and carried out the rescue operations,” he said.
AP
An excavator removes mud and stones from a damaged house after severe flooding in Maidan Wardak province.
AP
A damaged house is seen after severe flooding in Maidan Wardak province in central Afghanistan on Sunday July 23, 2023.
AFP/Getty Images
Afghan boys look at a truck damaged in flash floods in Maidan Wardak province on July 23, 2023.
The Taliban State Ministry of Disaster Management also said in a statement on Sunday that since the beginning of 2023, nearly 100,000 families affected by natural disasters in various provinces have received food and cash assistance.
At least 214 people have died in natural disasters over the past four months, including the most recent known flash floods, it said.