Heavy rains in eastern Afghanistan have resulted in at least 40 deaths and nearly 350 injuries, according to Taliban officials. In a separate incident, a bus accident on a main highway claimed at least 17 lives, as reported by official media.
Sharafat Zaman Amar, spokesperson for the Public Health Ministry, confirmed that 40 people had died in Monday’s storm, with 347 injured individuals brought to the regional hospital in Nangarhar from Jalalabad and nearby districts.
The storm’s impact was severe, with provincial spokesperson Sediqullah Quraishi reporting that about 400 houses and 60 electricity poles were destroyed across Nangarhar province. Power outages and limited communications affected Jalalabad city as authorities continue to assess the damage.
The tragedy was compounded by a separate bus accident on Tuesday morning. The official Taliban news agency Bakhtar reported that at least 17 people were killed and 34 others injured when a bus overturned on the main highway linking Kabul and Balkh in northern Baghlan province.
This latest disaster follows a pattern of severe weather events in Afghanistan. In May, exceptionally heavy rains killed more than 300 people and destroyed thousands of houses, primarily in the northern province of Baghlan, according to the World Food Program.
These incidents highlight Afghanistan’s ongoing struggles with natural disasters and road safety, underscoring the need for improved infrastructure and emergency response capabilities in the country.
Credit: The Associated Press.
