At least 16 people have been killed in the eastern province of Nangarhar in separate incidents caused by heavy rains and flooding, local Taliban officials said on Tuesday, as severe weather continues to batter large parts of the country.
In Nangarhar, flash floods triggered by intense overnight rainfall killed at least 13 people and injured 19 others, according to a statement by the Taliban provincial governor’s office. The flooding damaged homes and roads in several districts, disrupting already vulnerable communities.
In a separate incident, three people were killed when the roof of a house collapsed in the Gandamak area of Shirzad district, the statement said. The collapse was attributed to the same wave of heavy rain affecting the region.
The latest deaths come amid a broader pattern of destruction in Nangarhar. A day earlier, at least six people were killed and seven injured when the roofs of several homes collapsed in the districts of Pachiragam, Khogyani and Spin Ghar.
Many of the victims in these incidents were children, the statement said.
The incidents are part of a wider crisis caused by weeks of heavy rainfall and flooding across Afghanistan, with more than 20 provinces affected.
According to the Taliban-run National Disaster Management Authority, more than 100 people have been killed and more than 154 injured nationwide since late March. Around 6,000 families have been affected, and more than 3,600 homes have been destroyed.
The floods have also devastated livelihoods, destroying about 11,700 jeribs (over 6,000 acres) of agricultural land and damaging at least 337 kilometers of roads.
Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to seasonal flooding, particularly in the spring, when heavy rains and snowmelt can trigger landslides and structural collapses.
In many rural areas, homes built with fragile materials are especially susceptible to damage, increasing the risk to residents during prolonged storms.
