Floods, Landslides Triggered By Heavy Rain In Afghanistan Leave 77 Dead In 10 Days, Authorities Say

KABUL — Widespread flooding, landslides and lightning strikes triggered by fierce storms crossed Afghanistan person near 77 group dormant and 137 injured complete nan past 10 days, nan country’s Disaster Management Authority said Saturday.

More rainfall has been forecast for nan coming days passim Afghanistan, and nan authority warned nan nationalist to enactment distant from stream banks and different areas prone to flooding.

So acold this year, dozens of group person died owed to utmost upwind successful Afghanistan, an impoverished state that is highly susceptible to utmost upwind events. Earlier this year, dense snowfall and flash floods near dozens of group dormant crossed nan country.

The caller toll includes 26 group killed complete nan past 48 hours, nan disaster authority said. Overall, 793 homes person been destroyed and 2,673 person been damaged, while floods and landslides person destroyed much than 200 miles of roads, it said.

Businesses, cultivation land, h2o wells and irrigation canals person besides been damaged, pinch much than 5,800 families affected, nan authority said.

Several highways connecting nan superior to nan provinces person been damaged by floods and landslides, forcing travelers to return long, circuitous routes to scope Kabul, Public Works Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Haqshinas said Saturday.

They see nan Kabul-to-Jalalabad highway, which is nan main way linking nan superior to nan eastbound provinces and nan Pakistani border. A landslide, stone slides and flooding unopen nan road Thursday morning, and Haqshinas said crews were moving to reopen it.

The Public Works Ministry warned travelers to beryllium cautious erstwhile utilizing roads successful affected areas.

Flooding has besides unopen nan Salang Pass, a precocious upland walk successful nan Hindu Kush upland scope that connects Kabul to nan country’s north, including nan awesome cities of Kunduz and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Snow and dense rainfall successful Afghanistan often trigger flash floods that termination scores aliases moreover hundreds of group astatine a time. In 2024, much than 300 group died successful springtime flash floods.

Afghan writes for nan Associated Press. AP writer Elena Becatoros contributed to this report.