Afghanistan: Flash floods near Kabul kill dozens

Flash floods triggered by seasonal rainfall have killed at least 50 people and displaced many others in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province, a Taliban official said.

The death toll figure is said to be preliminary and "might rise as many people are missing," said Hedayatullah Hamdard, the provincial director of Natural Disaster Management in Baghlan.

In a conversation with AFP, Hamdard said the death toll had risen to 62 people — mainly women and children — adding that the number "will probably increase."

The floods also caused severe damage to property and homes in some districts, he said.

Situation on ground

The Central Asian country's capital, Kabul, was among the regions affected, according to Abdullah Janan Saiq, the Taliban's spokesman for the State Ministry for Natural Disaster Management.

Rescue teams, armed with food, tents, blankets and other aid had been dispatched to affected areas.

Emergency personnel were "searching for any possible victims under the mud and rubble, with the help of security forces from the national army and police," Hamdard told reporters.

Another Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, assured that authorities would provide support to those impacted.

The government "expresses its deep sympathy with the families of dead and wounded, and instructs the ministry of natural disaster management, ministries of defense and interior, and provincial authorities to spare no resource in rescue efforts," his post on social media platform X read.

Videos circulating on social media showed huge torrents of muddy water gushing on roads and bodies shrouded in black and white cloth.

Around 100 people have died in Afghanistan since mid-April due to flooding, with no region entirely spared, according to authorities.

Thousands more still require humanitarian assistance following the widespread destruction casued by the flooding.

mk/ab (AP, AFP)