Northern Afghanistan: Flash flood fatalities
According to a Taliban official, flash floods triggered by seasonal rains in Baghlan province, northern Afghanistan, resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people on Friday. Edayatullah Hamdard, the provincial director of Natural Disaster Management in Baghlan, reported that the floods caused damage to homes and property in several districts, with the death toll expected to rise as many people remain missing.
Abdullah Janan Saiq, the Taliban’s spokesman for the State Ministry for Natural Disaster Management, stated that the flash floods also affected the capital, Kabul. Rescue teams have been dispatched to provide aid to the affected areas, with a primary focus on the ongoing rescue operation. Saiq noted that more precise figures on casualties and damage may be available later.
In April, heavy rains and flash flooding claimed the lives of at least 70 people in Afghanistan, causing damage to around 2,000 homes, three mosques, and four schools. Thousands of individuals are in need of humanitarian assistance, and the flooding also resulted in the destruction of agricultural land, with 2,500 animals reported dead in the deluges.