60 dead, dozens missing in deadly flash flood

Over 60 people have been killed and dozens are still missing after a deadly flash flood swept away Mehrdish village in Nuristan province on Wednesday night.

Nuristan Governor Haafiz Abdul Qayum said floods swept through the village in Nuristan’s Kamdesh district on Wednesday night, completely destroying the village.

Qayum said security forces have not been able to enter the area, which is currently under Taliban control.

He said locals had however been able to rescue a number of villagers.

Meanwhile, Nuristan Provincial Council head Saadullah Payenda Zoye said the floods had washed away about 200 houses. He also said dozens of people were still missing.

He appealed to central and provincial administrations and aid agencies for urgent assistance.

The Ministry of State for Disaster Management meanwhile said the flash flood destroyed at least 60 houses and killed or injured about 100 people.

The ministry said this was an initial tally and that the casualty toll could increase.

Nuristan is a mountainous and densely forested area which is prone to floods every year, but this year, floods have had a greater impact on the local population.

Nuristan provincial MPs said the floods have left as many as 130 dead in Kamdesh district, including women and children, and that so far 40 bodies have been recovered. They also said dozens of houses and large tracts of farmland have been destroyed.