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Rescuers scour mud-clogged debris for Afghan flood victims; 150 dead
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Men carry an injured person out of a house after floods in Charikar, capital of Parwan province, Afghanistan August 26, 2020. (Stringer/Reuters/-)
T
he death toll from flash floods in Afghanistan rose to 150 on Thursday as survivors and rescue workers combed through the debris of more than 1,500 homes that were destroyed to the north of the capital, Kabul.
Authorities moved more than 900 families out of areas of mountainous Parwan province that were devastated by the flash floods, triggered by exceptionally heavy rain this week.
"The search is still on as many people, we fear, are still buried under the rocks and rubble," said Tamim Azimi, a spokesman for the ministry of disaster management.
Members of the security forces, officials and survivors have been working in deep mud, searching for any survivors and trying to clear the disaster area for more than 28 hours.
The effort has been hampered by blocked and damaged roads.
At least 250 people were injured.
"The situation is very grim, the scale of loss is intense," said Azimi
Survivors said many children were among the dead. The death toll was expected to rise as families prepared for mass burials with extensive rubble yet to be cleared.
Afghanistan regularly suffers from drought but can be hit by very heavy rain during the south Asian monsoon.
