KABUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people have been killed and 26 others injured in rain-related accidents in Afghanistan during the last 24 hours, the National Disaster Management Authority announced on Sunday.
Heavy rains triggered flash floods, along with landslides, thunder and lightning, across the country, including parts of Parwan, Daykundi, Wardak and Logar provinces, said Hafiz Mohammad Yusuf Hammad, spokesman for the authority.
Floods have also damaged 147 houses, washed away 80 km of roads, and inundated 582 acres of agricultural land along with 31 water canals and irrigation networks across the affected provinces, Hammad added.
These figures were preliminary, Hammad stressed, noting that assessment teams from the authority are still conducting surveys and evaluations across the affected areas. He cautioned that the casualty toll could change as more information becomes available.
Afghanistan's meteorological authorities have issued new alerts forecasting further rainfall in the coming days, heightening the risk of additional flooding in mountainous and vulnerable areas. ■
