Afghanistan floods kill 20, leave over 100 missing

At least 20 people were killed and more than 100 remain missing after flash floods struck Afghanistan's Nuristan province on Monday, officials said.

The disaster hit hardest in Parun, the provincial capital, where rushing water and mud swept away riverside shops and buildings. Afghanistan's disaster management agency ANDMA confirmed the toll and said search efforts continue.

How many people have died in the Afghanistan floods?

ANDMA said 20 bodies have been recovered so far in Nuristan, with more than 80 people injured.

Officials said over 100 residents, including the mayor of Parun, remain unaccounted for as rescue teams continue searching without heavy equipment in the flood-hit town.

What happened in Parun town?

Only mud remained where riverside shops once stood in Parun, and residents were searching for their mayor among the missing. Feraidon Samim, spokesman for the Nuristan governor, said nine bodies had been recovered at the time of his statement, with more than 100 people still missing.

AFP journalists who visited the remote northeastern area last month had seen a market, shops and other buildings near the riverside in Parun. Ashiqullah Safi, head of local NGO Shpoul, told AFP the flood had completely destroyed the municipality building along with hotels and dozens of shops. He said residents were searching the debris without equipment after floodwaters left large boulders scattered across the town.

A video filmed by a resident and shared with AFP showed dozens of people standing atop mud deposits, while others gathered along a road beside the rushing river.

What are officials saying about the Afghanistan floods?

Zabihullah Mujahid, the top spokesman for the Afghan government, confirmed the deaths and property damage in Nuristan province. He wrote on social media platform X that relevant agencies were seriously engaged in saving lives and protecting property in the affected areas.

ANDMA has forecast more rain and storms across multiple provinces in the coming days. The agency warned residents to stay away from riverbanks and other flood-prone areas as conditions remain unstable.

What caused the Nuristan floods and is Afghanistan prone to flooding?

Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to climate-driven flooding, and such events have increased in frequency in recent years. Mawlavi Mati-ul-Haq Khalis, head of the country's environmental protection agency, said this month that environmental problems have severely affected the Afghan people and contributed to a wider humanitarian crisis.

Monday's floods add to a pattern of deadly seasonal flooding this year. Around 150 people were killed in flooding and rain that hit Afghanistan in April, while at least 24 died in flooding in May.