Floods kill dozens, ravage houses in Afghanistan

Heavy flooding has killed at least 100 people as heavy seasonal rains drenched northern and eastern Afghanistan, officials have said.

Afghanistan's disaster management ministry said on Wednesday another 100 people had been injured and nearly 500 houses destroyed when torrential overnight rains fuelled floods that ravaged the city of Charikar, north of the capital Kabul.

The head of the provincial hospital, Abdul Qasim Sangin, said several children were among the dead and some injured are in critical condition.

Shahkar said the flooding started in the central part of the province overnight following heavy rains, destroying many homes.

She called on the government to deliver aid and provide immediate support for workers digging through mud to reach those who were trapped.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in a statement ordered aid be delivered to Parwan and other provinces while expressing his condolences to the victims' families.

Widespread damage

Ahmad Tameem Azimi, spokesperson of the Disaster Management Ministry, said flooding blocked highways to eastern and northern provinces.

“We are working to open the highways back for traffic, in addition to rescuing people,” he said.

Azimi said the ministry warned residents of possible flooding in the region with a social media alert late on Tuesday.

He said hundreds of acres of agricultural land were destroyed, with the heavy rain wiping out all the crops in eastern Nuristan province.

Houses and roads were destroyed in northern Kapisa, Panjshir and eastern Paktia provinces, Azimi said.

In eastern Maidan Wardak province, two people died and five were injured when flooding destroyed several houses, Azimi said.

The office of the Nangarhar governor said in a statement that two members of a family died and four others were injured on Wednesday morning when the wall of their house collapsed in flooding.

Summer often brings heavy rainfall in northern and eastern Afghanistan, leading to floods that leave hundreds dead every year.

Earlier this month, 16 people, including 15 children, were killed and dozens of houses were destroyed when flash floods ravaged a village in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

READ MORE: Flash floods kill scores in eastern Afghanistan