Afghanistan: At least 60 dead in flash flood in Baghlan

Taliban officials say at least 60 people have died and more than 100 have been injured in flash floods in northern Afghanistan.

Dozens of people remain missing after heavy rains hit five districts in Baghlan province. There are warnings that the death toll could rise before two more storms are expected to spread across the region on Friday evening.

Images on social media showed floodwaters sweeping through houses in several villages, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

The country has been hit by unusually heavy rainfall in recent weeks, with floods killing more than 100 people since mid-April.

Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, told the BBC that the deceased came from Borka district in Baghlan province.

More than 200 people are trapped in their homes there.

The official had previously told Reuters that helicopters had been sent to Baghlan – located just north of the capital Kabul – but the operation might not be successful due to a lack of night vision goggles.

Meanwhile, local official Hedayatullah Hamdard told AFP that emergency services, including the army, were “looking for possible victims among the mud and rubble.”

Tents, blankets and food were provided to some families who lost their homes, the official added.

The main road between Kabul and northern Afghanistan is closed.

This comes after floods in the west of the country last month killed dozens of people and left thousands in need of humanitarian assistance.

Around 2,000 houses, three mosques and four schools were also damaged.

Flash floods occur when rain falls so heavily that normal drainage can no longer cope.

Experts say a relatively dry winter has made it harder for the soil to absorb precipitation.

Torrential rains and floods kill people every year in Afghanistan, where poorly constructed homes in remote rural areas are particularly vulnerable.

Many factors contribute to flooding, but warming of the atmosphere caused by climate change increases the likelihood of extreme rainfall.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1°C since the beginning of the industrial era, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world make drastic emissions cuts.