Death toll in flooding in Afghanistan rises to 50

IANS Photo

Islamabad, April 16 (IANS/DPA) At least 50 people have been killed in the flooding caused by heavy rains in the past four days in Afghanistan, the country's National Disaster Management Authority reported on Tuesday.

Another 36 people were injured in the floods, agency spokesman Janan Sayaq said.

Officials previously reported 33 deaths nationwide.

Sayaq added that the floods caused significant damage, including destroying agricultural land and homes.

Afghanistan is reeling from the after-effects of decades of conflict and one natural disaster after another, including floods and earthquakes. A series of earthquakes in the Western province of Herat in October claimed at least 1,500 lives, according to the UN.

In February, an avalanche struck a mountain village in Nuristan province, killing at least 21 people.

The lack of robust infrastructure, particularly in remote areas, often exacerbates the consequences of such disasters.

Death toll in rain-related incidents in Pakistan rises to 50


Islamabad, April 16 (IANS/DPA) At least 50 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Pakistan in the past four days.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked emergency services to be vigilant as more severe weather moves in.

At least 21 people, including seven children, were killed when lightning struck in central Punjab province.

Another 21 people were killed in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At least eight perished in the southern province of Balochistan.

The weather has put the harvesting of wheat crops on hold in Punjab. It is feared that the upcoming spell of rains starting from Thursday will not only further delay the harvesting but will also do damage to the crop.

Heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and flooding are unusual in the South Asian region, one of the most populous in the world, outside of the monsoon season between July and September.

Pakistan is responsible for less than 1 per cent of global carbon emissions, but is among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations.

More than 2,000 people were killed by catastrophic floods and subsequent outbreaks of diseases in Pakistan in 2022 when a third of the country was submerged, affecting 33 million people.