ISLAMABAD (AP) — Heavy rains in eastern Afghanistan have killed at least 40 people and injured nearly 350 others, Taliban officials said Tuesday. Among the dead in Monday’s storm were five members of the same family when the roof of their house collapsed in Surkh Rod district, according to provincial spokesperson Sediqullah Quraishi. Four other family members were injured.
Sharafat Zaman Amar, a spokesperson for the Public Health Ministry, said the 347 injured people had been brought for treatment to the regional hospital in Nangarhar from Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, and nearby districts. About 400 houses and 60 electricity poles were destroyed across Nangarhar, Quraishi said. Power was cut in many areas and there were limited communications in Jalalabad city, he said.
The damage was still being assessed. Abdul Wali, 43, said much of the damage occurred within an hour. “The winds were so strong that they blew everything into the air.
That was followed by heavy rain,” he said. His 4-year-old daughter received minor injuries, he said. Aid organizations rushed supplies and mobile teams.
International Rescue Committee Afghanistan Director Salma ben Aissa said her group was conducting assessments and providing emergency health services. “The continuation of climate-induced disasters in Afghanistan ought to be cause for grave concern: decades of conflict and economic crisis has meant that the country has faced setback after setback as it tries to find it.
