26 Apr 2014

Afghan flash floods kill 80+

5:02 am on 26 April 2014

Flash floods in northern Afghanistan have killed more than 80 people and scores more are missing.

Floodwaters swept through villages and fields following two days of heavy rain, engulfing thousands of dwellings. The rain is still falling.

Forty three people died in Jowzjan province, 33 in Faryab province and six in Sar-e Pul province.

Helicopters have evacuated about 200 people but many are still trapped on the roofs of their homes.

Faryab governor Mohammadullah Batash said 2152 houses were destroyed and the death toll in the province, which borders Turkmenistan, was expected to rise.

Flooding often occurs during the spring rainy season in northern Afghanistan, where flimsy mud houses offer little protection.