Heavy rain and fresh flood warnings have slowed rescue efforts in eastern Afghanistan, where at least 23 people have died and around 100 others remain missing after devastating flash floods swept through Nuristan province.
According to AFP, the flooding struck Parun, the capital of Nuristan province, on Monday, leaving widespread destruction and forcing rescue teams to battle harsh weather conditions in their search for survivors.
Rescuers, working under persistent rain, used their bare hands, shovels and wooden poles to sift through debris after bulldozers proved largely ineffective.
The Nuristan governor’s office confirmed that Parun Mayor Sayed Ahmad Arhabi was among those killed in the disaster. Governor Zain-ul-Abidin Abid described the flooding as a “tragic and serious incident” and pledged that all victims would be recovered.
Farid Gul Zaheer, a 34-year-old pharmacist injured while fleeing the floodwaters, said he had never experienced such devastation.
“It felt like there was an earthquake, and I heard children and people screaming,” he said.
Hotel manager Zakirullah Zaki described the destruction as overwhelming, saying nearly all hotels, markets and shops in the area had been destroyed, although his missing younger brother was later found alive.
The Afghan Red Crescent Society has deployed dozens of volunteers to assist search operations and provide emergency food, water and tents to displaced families. Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry has also sent military personnel to support relief efforts, while the United Nations is assessing the scale of the disaster.
Residents remain on high alert as meteorologists forecast more heavy rain and thunderstorms across Nuristan and several other provinces. Police have warned people to stay away from rivers due to the risk of further flooding.
The severe weather has also affected neighbouring Pakistan, where authorities reported 12 flood-related deaths.
Afghanistan remains highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Earlier this month, the head of the country’s environmental protection agency, Mawlavi Mati-ul-Haq Khalis, warned that climate change is worsening flooding and deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
