At least 20 people were killed and more than 100 remained missing after severe flooding struck Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province on Monday, officials said.
The floods devastated parts of Parun, the provincial capital, where riverside shops were swept away and residents searched through the debris for missing people, including the town’s mayor.
Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said 20 bodies had been recovered, while more than 80 people were injured in the disaster.
The casualties were reported in Parun and other areas of Nuristan, a province bordering Pakistan. According to the governor’s office, several government officials, including the mayor, were among those missing.
“Nine dead bodies are recovered,” Nuristan governor’s spokesperson Feraidon Samim said. Both Samim and ANDMA said more than 100 people remained unaccounted for.
Journalists who visited the remote northeastern province last month said Parun’s market, shops and several other buildings were situated close to the riverbank.
Ashiqullah Safi, head of the local NGO Shpoul, said the flooding had “completely destroyed the municipality” along with hotels and dozens of shops.
He added that residents were searching for survivors without proper equipment after floodwaters left large boulders scattered across the town.
Footage shared with AFP by a local resident showed dozens of people standing on thick mud while others gathered along a road beside the swollen river.
Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the fatalities and widespread property damage in Nuristan.
“The relevant agencies are seriously engaged in saving people’s lives and property,” he wrote on X.
ANDMA warned that further rainfall and storms were expected across several provinces and urged residents to avoid riverbanks and flood-prone areas.
