- 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.
(With inputs from AP.)