Violent flooding leaves at least 110 fatalities, 2 000 houses destroyed in Parwan, Afghanistan

At least 110 people died and around 2 000 houses were destroyed after violent flash flooding swept through Parwan, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2020, with authorities noting that the death toll may continue to rise. The disaster management added that dozens were injured and more than 1 000 people have been evacuated.
Torrential rains poured overnight, triggering the deluge that caught people off guard. Gushing waters carried mud and debris, toppling houses and sweeping away bodies in their wake.
Mahmood Samadi, a resident of Parwan's capital Charikar, said he was awakened by the sound of floodwaters raging through his neighborhood, prompting him to evacuate his family out of the city.
Samadi told The New York Times that when he came back, his house was submerged and six homes on his street had already been destroyed.
"I don't know about the exact casualties in our street, but I know many people were killed and wounded."
At least 100 people died and hundreds of homes were destroyed as seasonal rains cause worst flooding in Afghanistan's Parwan province#Afghanistan #Floods pic.twitter.com/k2KkTO3YVj
— The Pigeon Express (@MailOfTheDay) August 27, 2020
Another local described the moment the floods struck. "I grabbed the window and was holding it for two hours until the neighbors came to rescue me," said a 70-year-old resident named Hamida, adding that she had lost everything.
According to Parwan governor Fazludin Ayar, the fatalities were estimated to be hundreds, including 11 members of the same family. Rescue teams said many people remain buried under the rubbles, and it is feared that the death toll may rise.
Disaster Management Ministry spokesman Ahmad Tameem Azimi reported that more than 2 000 houses were destroyed across the province, and more than 1 000 have been displaced so far.
Flash floods in #Parwan province during Tuesday night Killed more than one hundred people and injured 200 people.
Please pray for #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/c7mz4FEAtP— Zeba Gul || Proud Afghan (@peghlaAfghaan) August 26, 2020
Wide swaths of agricultural land have been ravaged, with the downpour wiping out all crops in eastern Nuristan province. Many roads were also destroyed in northern Kapisa, Panjshir, and eastern Paktia, Azimi added.
In a statement, President Ashraf Ghani ordered emergency assistance to be provided promptly to the victims. Many survivors are in dire need of food and shelter.
Flash floods hit Parwan province it triggered a huge crisis. pic.twitter.com/QAVE5dj82V
— Ata Shamulzai (@AtaurRahmanAt14) August 26, 2020
Featured image credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/YouTube
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Related articles
Producing content you read on this website takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work. If you value what we do here, select the level of your support and register your account.
Your support makes this project fully self-sustainable and keeps us independent and focused on the content we love to create and share.
All our supporters can browse the website without ads, allowing much faster speeds and a clean interface. Your comments will be instantly approved and you’ll have a direct line of communication with us from within your account dashboard. You can suggest new features and apps and you’ll be able to use them before they go live.
You can choose the level of your support.
Stay kind, vigilant and ready!
You can also support us by sending us a one-off payment using PayPal: