Flash floods kill 20 in eastern Afghan province

KABUL: Heavy rains triggered flash floods in the eastern Afghan province of Logar, killing at least 20 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, officials said Sunday (Aug 21).

The rains lashed several areas of the province on Saturday, injuring more than 30 people in addition to those killed, the provincial governor’s office said.

The floods also destroyed dozens of canals and about 5,000 acres of agricultural land, mainly orchards, the statement said, with about 2,000 livestock also killed.

Scores of Afghans die every year from floods and torrential downpours, particularly in impoverished rural areas where poorly built homes are often at risk of collapse.