Flash floods in Afghanistan kill more than 40

KABUL: Flash floods triggered by days of torrential rain have killed more than 40 people in Afghanistan, destroying dozens of houses, a senior disaster official said Sunday.

Heavy flooding that began three days ago hit nine eastern and southeastern provinces and some districts of the capital Kabul.

Surobi district of Kabul was the hardest hit, Ghulam Farooq, the head of emergency operations for Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority, told AFP.

"The primary report indicates that 35 people have died in Surobi district, eight in Khost and one in Kapisa," he said.

Four people were missing in eastern Nangarhar province, he added.

The floodwaters also destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmland and displaced hundreds of people in those provinces, he said.

"At least 237 houses have been destroyed in Surobi alone," he said.

He said emergency teams had been sent to the areas to assess the situation.

Harsh winters in Afghanistan and heavy snowfalls often cause swollen rivers that trigger flooding in the mountainous country in spring and summer.

But this year, Afghanistan witnessed one of the hottest summers in decades with temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius in some parts. (AFP)