Extreme weather kills 77 in Afghanistan amid floods, landslides

Heavy rain and storms have caused widespread flooding, landslides, and lightning strikes across Afghanistan, resulting in 77 deaths and 137 injuries over the past 10 days, according to the country’s Disaster Management Authority.

Authorities have issued warnings as more rain is expected in the coming days, urging residents to avoid riverbanks and flood-prone areas, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

This year, extreme weather has already claimed dozens of lives in Afghanistan, a country highly vulnerable to such events due to its economic challenges. Earlier incidents of heavy snowfall and flash floods also caused significant casualties.

In the past 48 hours alone, 26 people have died, the disaster authority reported. The storms have completely destroyed 793 homes, damaged another 2,673, and washed out 337 kilometers (about 210 miles) of roads. Agricultural lands, businesses, irrigation canals, and water wells have suffered damage, affecting more than 5,800 families overall.

Several major highways connecting Kabul to provincial areas have been blocked or damaged, forcing travelers to take lengthy detours, Public Works Ministry spokesman Ashraf Haqshinas said on April 4.

By Jeyhun Aghazada