Rains, flash floods claim 40 lives in Afghanistan in week

ANKARA

Flash floods triggered by massive rains killed another nine people in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 40 in the past week, an official said.

Seven more people were also injured due to rains and flash floods that swept large swaths in the country's eastern Parwan province.

The floods completely or partially destroyed at least 200 houses, and 1,000 acres (404 hectares) of agricultural land, apart from washing away roads and animals in Siagard and Shimorti districts following heavy rains on Tuesday afternoon, provincial government spokesman Sayed Hekmatullah Shamim told reporters.

Afghanistan's meteorological authorities have predicted more rains and floods in several parts of the war-torn country in the next few days.

In the wake of the damage caused by the week-long floods, Organization of Islamic Countries Chief Hissein Brahim Taha called on the Muslim nations, institutions, and partners to "accompany the response and the recovery efforts deployed by Afghanistan to mitigate the impacts of this disaster."