Rains, floods claim 14 lives, cause widespread destruction

A man swims from a submerged church compound, after the River Tana broke its banks following heavy rains at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya, Sunday, April. 28, 2024. Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to dozens of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the U.N. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

The heavy downpour, followed by floods in Afghanistan, has claimed the lives of at least 14 people, and has also resulted in widespread destruction across the nation, TOLOnews reported, citing the Taliban-led State Ministry for Disaster Management Affairs.

According to Janan Saiq, the ministry’s spokesperson, 140 residential dwellings have been destroyed by floods and rainfall in 14 provinces, and over 2,000 livestock have died.
“In the last three days, due to the rain, approximately 14 of our fellow citizens have died, and one person is missing. 140 homes have been either completely or partially demolished,” TOLOnews quoted Saiq as saying.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works, said that some roads in the Afghan provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Ghor, and Nuristan have been temporarily blocked due to landslides and floods.

“Several paths in the provinces of Takhar, Badakhshan, Ghor, and Nuristan, which have been temporarily closed to traffic due to the ongoing floods and landslides, are being urgently cleared by the Ministry of Public Works,” he said, as per TOLOnews.

Due to incessant rainfall, the residents in many regions have reported major financial losses, which they have to bear as a result of the floods and are calling on the interim government to address their concerns.

“It took children, destroyed lands, and bridges,” a resident of Farah province said.
“Our expectation is that the government helps our fellow citizens who are trapped, and assists those whose possessions have been damaged,” a Ghor resident stated.