315 killed in Afghanistan flash floods

AFP

Flash floods caused by heavy rains have devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, killing 315 people and injuring more than 1,600.

Thousands of homes were damaged and livestock wiped out while aid groups warned of damage to health care facilities and vital infrastructure, such as water supply, with streets left coated in mud.

In the Nahrin district of Baghlan province, people carried their dead to a gravesite.

"We have no food, no drinking water, no shelter, no blankets, nothing at all, floods have destroyed everything," said Muhammad Yahqoob, who has lost 13 members of his family, children among them.

The survivors were struggling to cope, he added.

"Out of 42 houses, only two or three remain, it has destroyed the entire valley."

Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters and the United Nations considers it one of countries most vulnerable to climate change.

It has battled a shortfall in aid after the Taliban took over as foreign forces withdrew in 2021, since development aid that formed the backbone of government finances was cut.

More from International News

  • US, Iran and mediators make push for 45-day ceasefire

    The US, Iran, and a group of regional mediators are discussing the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, Axios reported on Sunday, citing four US, Israeli and regional sources with knowledge of the talks.

  • US snatches airman from Iran as Trump, Israel ratchet up pressure

    US special forces rescued a downed airman in Iran in a complex operation that averted a potential crisis for President Donald Trump, as the war entered its sixth week with little sign of progress in diplomatic efforts for a resolution.

  • Ships near Italy rescue 32 migrants as 71 remain missing

    Two merchant vessels near the Italian coast recovered the bodies of two migrants and rescued 32 survivors from a boat trying to cross to Europe from Libya on Easter weekend, rescue charities said, citing the survivors as saying 71 others were lost at sea.

  • Nigerian army rescues 31 hostages after church attack

    Nigeria's army said on Sunday that it had rescued 31 civilians who were taken hostage during an attack on a church in northwest Kaduna state, while five people were found dead at the scene.

  • At least 11 killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon

    An Israeli airstrike on Kfarhata, a village in south Lebanon, killed seven people on Sunday, including a 4-year-old child, while another attack on the Jnah neighbourhood in Beirut killed four people and injured 39 others, Lebanon's health ministry said in a statement.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio