Samangan flood washes away homes, crops

AIBAK (Pajhwok): Triggered by heavy rains, flash floods caused huge financial losses to people in several districts of northern Samangan province, an official said on Tuesday.

The floods wreaked havoc in Ruyi Doab, Hazrat Sultan and Khuram Sarbagh districts.

About 100 homes, shops and health centres in various parts of Ruyi Doab district alone were damaged, said Ghulam Rabbani, the town’s executive director.

He said standing crops over hundreds of acres of land and livestock were lost to the deluge that hit parts of the province late on Monday.

Sirajuddin Fitrat, administrative chief of Hazrat Sultan district, said flood entered the district at around 3:00am and washed away homes in Ghaznijak locality. He said the flood destroyed standing crops in the area.

According to Fitrat, the early morning flooding had also blocked the Kabul-Balkh highway.

Rajab Ali Yousufi, the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority provincial head, acknowledged losses people suffered due to the flood in Zwand Dara and other areas last night.

Abdullah Mujahid, administrative chief of the Sarbagh district, said the flood also played havoc in some areas of the district and caused damage to properties.

Two weeks ago, around 50 people lost their lives due to severe flooding in Samangan.

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