Deadly Floods Devastate Afghanistan’s Nuristan; Death Toll Rises to 20, More Than 100 Missing

Flash floods have caused widespread devastation in Parun, the capital of Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province, with authorities reporting a sharp rise in casualties as search and rescue operations continue.

According to Afghanistan’s National Disaster Preparedness Authority, preliminary figures show that 20 people have been killed, around 80 injured and more than 100 remain missing after powerful floods swept through the city on Monday afternoon.

Mohammad Yousuf Hamad, spokesperson for the authority, said the casualty figures are preliminary and could change as emergency teams continue searching for survivors and those still missing.

Earlier, local officials reported that the floods struck Parun at around 3:00pm, damaging the municipality building, several hotels, telecommunications offices, parks, bridges and dozens of residential homes.

Faridun Samim, spokesperson for the Nuristan governor, said the flooding caused extensive destruction across the provincial capital, with financial losses estimated at around $35 million.

The Islamic Emirate has expressed condolences to the families of the victims and pledged assistance to those affected, while rescue teams remain on the ground to support ongoing relief efforts.