Afghanistan: at least 29 dead after floods in the east of the country

Flash floods, triggered by heavy rains, have killed at least 29 people and destroyed dozens of homes in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Monday.

At least 20 people were killed and more than 50 injured in Parwan, according to Mohammad Naseeb Haqqani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Disaster Management.

Hundreds of people are still missing

Five people were killed in Kapisa province and four in Nangarhar province, it added. Some 100 people are still missing in Parwan, added Hekmatullah Shamim, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

“Crops, dozens of houses and roads were destroyed,” said Mohammad Naseeb Haqqani.

Rescue teams and emergency aid have been dispatched to the affected areas. Dozens of Afghans die every year from torrential rains, especially in poor rural areas where poorly built houses can easily collapse.