Flash floods kill 14 in northern Afghanistan

Flash floods have killed at least 14 people and left five others missing in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province, Afghan officials say.

Officials said on Wednesday that the floods also caused damage to nearly 1,000 houses in Kishindih, Sholgara, and Nahri Shai districts on Tuesday.

Munir Ahmad Farhad, a provincial government spokesman, said that the floods also damaged hundreds of hectares of farmland in the province.

“We have sent delegations to the affected areas to assess the damage and casualties,” Farhad added.

The official also added that heavy rains led to flooding in eastern areas of the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, but there have been no reports of casualties.

“All of our livestock and homes were destroyed,” said Ghulam Sakhi, a resident of a village in Sholgara district. He added, “The flooding was so strong we couldn’t do anything.”

Many homes in rural Afghanistan are built of mud or stone and are easily washed away by flooding.