KABUL, March 31 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people have been killed and 17 others injured in devastating flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall across multiple provinces of Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, the National Disaster Management Authority announced on Tuesday.
In addition to the human toll, the natural disaster destroyed 476 residential houses, submerged or swept away 1,423 acres of agricultural land, and inflicted severe damage on orchards, water canals and irrigation networks, the authority said.
On Monday, the same body reported that at least 28 people had been killed and 49 injured by rain-triggered disasters across 25 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces over the past four days.
Decades of conflict, deteriorating infrastructure, a fragile economy, widespread deforestation, and intensifying climate change have left Afghanistan highly vulnerable to natural disasters, with the impact most severe in remote areas where mud-built homes offer little protection against sudden torrents and heavy downpours. ■
