Flash floods kill 66 in Afghanistan
HERAT, Afghanistan, May 8, AFP - Flash floods have killed at least 66
people and destroyed hundreds of houses in Afghanistan, the government
said Saturday.
Hundreds of livestock have also been destroyed by the flooding,
caused by torrential rain in northern and western Afghanistan, said the
head of the National Disaster Management Authority for the region.
“Twenty-three people have died in Badghis, 21 in Ghor and another 22
in Herat province,” said Abdul Hameed Mubariz Hameedi, referring to the
three worst-hit provinces.
The Afghan government and the United Nations have sent relief teams
to the affected areas, which are among the poorest in the country.
Natural disasters are common in mountainous Afghanistan, where more
than 200 people lost their lives in heavy avalanches earlier this year.
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