Daily Times

Flash floods in Afghanistan have killed more than 100 people and destroyed hundreds of houses near Kabul.

Troops pulled dozens of victims from the rubble of collapsed buildings in Charikar, capital of Parwan province after torrential overnight rains caused fierce floods across the city.

Officials and witnesses said many children were among the dead. Piles of rocks from destroyed buildings were scattered across the city with roads blocked by mud and debris and cars flipped on their side.

Afghanistan’s state ministry for disaster management said the death toll from the floods had risen to 100, with about 100 other people injured and nearly 500 houses destroyed.

In parts of Charikar anxious residents gathered to see if rescue workers using heavy machinery would be able to pull loved ones from the wreckage.

Flash floods were also reported in other provinces – including Nangarhar, Panjshir, Wardak, Loghar, Paktika and Kapisa.

In the Surobi district of Kabul province, a flash flood killed eight people and injured 13 more, provincial public health director Khushal Nabizada said.

Torrential downpours and flash floods kill scores of people annually in Afghanistan.

Many poorly built homes, mostly in rural areas, are at risk of collapse during the rains in the impoverished country.