A devastating flash flood has struck Afghanistan's Nuristan province, leaving more than 100 people missing, according to provincial disaster officials and the governor's office. The state disaster agency, ANDMA, confirmed on Monday that 20 bodies have been recovered, while at least 80 individuals have sustained injuries. The casualties were concentrated in the provincial capital, Parun, and surrounding regions near the border with Pakistan.
ANDMA spokesperson Yusuf Hammad stated that search-and-rescue operations are actively underway with emergency teams deployed to the disaster zone. He cautioned that the death toll is expected to rise as the rescue mission continues. Among those reported missing in Parun are government employees and the mayor, the governor's office noted. Feraidon Samim, a spokesman for the Nuristan governor, confirmed the recovery of nine bodies in that specific area, reiterating the estimate that over 100 people remain unaccounted for.
The impact of the disaster has been severe. Ashiqullah Safi, head of the local NGO Shpoul, described the destruction of the municipality, as well as numerous hotels and dozens of shops that were previously situated near the riverside. Residents have been forced to search the area without proper equipment, navigating a landscape left littered with large boulders deposited by the floodwaters.
This disaster follows recent warnings from Mawlavi Mati-ul-Haq Khalis, the head of Afghanistan's environmental protection agency, who noted that flooding across the country has intensified. He stated that these environmental challenges have severely impacted the Afghan population and contributed to the nation's ongoing humanitarian crisis.
