20 killed by flash flood in southern Afghanistan: UN

KANDAHAR: At least 20 people were killed by flash flood in Kandahar province of Afghanistan, as heavy rains swept away homes and vehicles, and potentially damaged thousands of houses, the UN said on Saturday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the flood inundated Kandahar city and surrounding districts, with 97mm of rainfall in the last 30 hours. “At least 10 more people, including children, are still missing,” said the statement. “It is anticipated that up to 2,000 homes may have been damaged along with the infrastructure,” the report said.

Kandahar´s Deputy Governor Abdul Hanan Moneeb said the flood was the worst in the last seven years, with many nomadic herders camped in the area swept away along with their livestock. The official added that at least 400 families have been rescued by the Afghan army since the flood began on late Friday night.

Rescue operations were largely delayed due to heavy the rainfall, Raziq Shirzai, the provincial commander of the Afghan air force said. Heavy snowfall across the large swathes of Afghanistan this winter has raised fears of severe flood as spring approaches, following years of devastating drought in the country. Meanwhile, nearly 50 people have been killed due to flood in Afghanistan so far this year, according to the UN.