Kabul, Aug 26 (UNI) Heavy floods have taken a huge toll in Afghanistan's Parwan province as at least 100 people have lost their lives due to the deluge that ravaged large parts of Charikar, the provincial capital, officials said Wednesday.
Spokesperson of the provincial government Wahida Shahkar warned that the number of casualties may further rise as rescue teams work ceaselessly save people buried under debris of destroyed houses.
Shahkar stressed the need for the central government to step in as far as possible saying that the scale of activities required for rescue and rehabilitation was beyond the capacity of the local government.
The Ministry of Disaster Management confirmed in a statement that the dead included many children in Charikar, which was hit by heavy rains overnight.
Flood hit the region on the wee hours of Wednesday when people were asleep hence they had no chance of taking evasive action. Several residential structures are believed to have been collapsed due to incessant rains trapping the residents inside them, which would take the death and casualty toll still higher.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered delivery of aid to Parwan and other provinces that are battling floods and expressed condolences for the victims' and their families.
Spokesperson of the disaster management ministry Ahmad Tameem Azimi said that flooding has blocked the highways to eastern and northern provinces and the ministry is working to open the highways back to the traffic besides rescuing people.
Azimi estimated that at least 300 houses were destroyed in Parwan and more than a thousand people have been displaced. Al Jazera quoted him saying that the ground and air support sent to help those trapped by the flooding has reached the provinces.
UNI XC RKM SHK2139