Flash floods claim 19 lives in western Afghanistan

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Flash floods caused by heavy downpour have killed at least 19 people in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, officials said on Tuesday.

Heavy rains with thunderstorms lashed several regions of the province bordering Iran, including Adraskan, Pashtun Zarghoon, Shen Dand, Guzra, Injil, and Karkh, according to Jailani Farhad, the provincial governor’s spokesperson.

“The worst-hit area is Adraskan, where most of the casualties took place. A woman and three children were among those who died there. Huge swaths of agricultural land, livestock, and residential units have also been damaged,” he told Anadolu Agency.

The disaster management authority issued an advisory on Monday evening, warning of a days-long spell of torrential rains and thunderstorms in over two dozen northern, eastern, and western provinces of Afghanistan.

People in vulnerable areas must stay away from the pathways of floodwater and stay in close contact with local administrations, the authority said in a statement.

Over 150 lives were lost and nearly 500 families displaced in similar floods in Afghanistan last summer, according to estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.