Death toll from Afghanistan flooding passes 150

Northern province of Parwan suffered greatest casualties and damage, with more than 2,000 homes destroyed

A villager stands next to a destroyed motorbike as residents gather among the debris of their houses after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

Youths sit on an overturned vehicle after flash floods triggered by heavy rainfalls affected the area in Jalalabad. AFP

Locals carry the body of a woman killed in a mudslide following heavy flooding in the Parwan province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. AP Photo

A villager reacts next to his destroyed house as rescuers search for bodies after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

A security personnel stands guard among villagers gathering as rescuers search for bodies among households' debris as others watch after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

Villagers and security personnel gather after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

Villagers retrieve their belongings from the debris of their houses after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

A young villager retrieves belongings from the debris of houses after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

Villagers and rescuers search for bodies among households' debris using an excavator as security personnel stand guard after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

A volunteer carries a fainted young girl as rescuers search for her relatives' bodies after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

An Afghan man prays near his damaged house after a mudslide in Parwan province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. AP Photo

A villager inspects a damaged car among the debris of houses after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

villagers gather among the debris of their damaged houses after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

Women walk among households' debris after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

A villager inspects a damaged car among the debris of houses after a flash flood affected the area at Sayrah-e-Hopiyan in Charikar, Parwan province. AFP

The death toll from two days of heavy flooding in northern and eastern Afghanistan rose to at least 150 on Thursday, with scores more injured as rescue crews searched for survivors beneath the mud and rubble of collapsed houses.

Flash floods inundated the city of Charikar in northern Parwan province since Tuesday night. The health ministry said the local hospital was partially destroyed and many injured were being transferred to the capital Kabul.

Powerful flood waters in the mountainous province dislocated thousands of large rocks that caused major injuries and destroyed entire homes, burying people under the rubble, officials said. Several excavators reached the area and were digging for those stuck beneath the rubble.

Mohammad Qasim Haidari, Afghanistan's deputy minister for disaster management, said the casualty toll may rise as rescue teams and volunteers were still working to locate people buried under destroyed houses.

He said 102 people died in Parwan, 19 in the capital Kabul, 17 in northern Kapisa, seven in eastern Wardak, three in northern Panjshir, two in eastern Nangarhar and one in eastern Paktia and over 200 others were injured.

Heavy rains, compounded by mudslides, often threaten remote areas of Afghanistan, where infrastructure is poor. Summer often brings heavy rainfall and flooding to the country's north and east.

Wahida Shahkar, spokesperson for the Parwan provincial governor, said soldiers and police were deployed to help people search for their loved ones under the mud.

The head of the provincial hospital, Abdul Qasim Sangin, said every 30 minutes to an hour a corpse was being delivered to the hospital. He said several children were among the dead and some of the injured were in critical condition.

A popular vacation destination for many Afghans, Charikar was the location of many of Parwan province's casualties and also suffered much property destruction in the flooding.

Hamid Agha, 50, a Charikar resident, said he lost all his family members to the floods except two sons who are truck drivers and were delivering goods in another province.

Mr Agha was able to pull himself out of the rising waters but was unable to save his family. “Out of 11 family members in the house only I am alive,” he said. “We buried six bodies but four others are still missing.”

People were digging out their belongings, including blankets, clothes, mattresses and pillows, from houses partially or completely filled with mud on Thursday.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani promised full support to those who lost homes and family members. A group of Afghan businessmen delivered food and cash to families in Parwan.

Ahmad Tameem Azimi, spokesman of the disaster management ministry, said flooding blocked highways to eastern and northern provinces. “Along with rescuing people we are working to open the highways back to traffic,” he said on Wednesday.

More than 2,000 houses were destroyed in Parwan and more than 1,000 people were displaced, he said.

Ground and air support sent to help those trapped by the flooding reached the provinces, Mr Azimi said. The ministry had warned residents of possible flooding in the region with a social media alert late on Tuesday, he said.

Hundred of acres of agricultural land have been destroyed, with the heavy rain wiping out all the crops in 13 provinces. Houses and roads were destroyed in northern Kapisa, Panjshir and eastern Paktia provinces, Mr Azimi said.