Flash Floods in Northern Afghan Province of Sari Pul Kills 20

The floods killed at least 20, and wounded nearly 22. Image used for representation. (Photo: iStockphoto)

• At least 20 people were killed in flash floods that hit the northern Afghan province of Sari Pul, an official said on Wednesday.
  
  
• The floods hit the district of Kohistanat in the remote south of Sari Pul in the early hours on Wednesday morning, said Zabihullah Amani, the spokesman for the provincial governor.
  
  
• Regional leaders who met to discuss how to deal with the disaster and launch a search and rescue operation appealed for help from non-governmental relief agencies, Amani said. The area is controlled by Taliban insurgents, he said, complicating access for rescue operations.
  
  
• Large parts of northern Afghanistan are often afflicted by flooding after heavy rains, as over-grazing and deforestation have made many areas vulnerable to natural disaster.
  
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(With inputs from AP.)