Kabul, April 2 – One person was killed and 13 others were injured after flash floods swept through several areas in the Herat province of Afghanistan, local media reported on Thursday, citing an official statement.
Pajhwok Afghan News, an Afghan news outlet, quoted provincial governor spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi as saying that rescue operations were underway to rescue those trapped. Saeedi said that a trailer truck was also stranded due to floodwaters on the Herat-Kandahar highway. However, the situation was resolved due to timely action.
Saeedi said that 13 people were injured when a passenger bus travelling on the Herat-Farah highway overturned due to flooding. He said that three people were trapped due to flooding in the Adraskan district. Two of them were rescued by local residents and a response team, while one person lost his life.
He said that rescue operations were underway to rescue two people trapped by floodwaters in the Torghundi river. In a similar incident, three vehicles were stranded in floodwaters in the Rud Bazaar area of the Gulran district. However, all passengers and vehicles were safely rescued by response teams and local residents.
On March 30, Disaster Preparedness Authority spokesperson Mohammad Yousuf Hamad said that 28 people have been killed and 49 others injured due to heavy rains, floods, and lightning in several provinces of Afghanistan since February 26.
Hamad said that the affected provinces include Kandahar, Helmand, Herat, Ghor, Kabul, Kapisa, Parwan, Panjshir, Jawzjan, Faryab, Badakhshan, Bamyan, Daikundi, Paktia, Paktika, Logar, Zabul, Balkh, Badghis, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Baghlan, Takhar, Laghman, and Nangarhar, according to Tolo News, an Afghan news outlet.
As many as 568 houses and 10 shops were destroyed, 93 kilometers of roads were damaged, and approximately 244 livestock were lost due to the floods. Hamad said that 1,130 families have been affected by these rains.
Hamad said that the Disaster Preparedness Authority has sent assistance, food supplies, and other aid to the affected residents. Authorities have asked residents to ensure their safety and advised them to stay away from rivers and flood-prone regions.
