Death toll rises to at least 150 from Afghan flooding

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, officials said.

Flash floods inundated the city of Charikar in northern Parwan province starting on Tuesday night.

It also dislocated thousands of large rocks that caused major injuries and destroyed entire homes, burying people under the rubble in the mountainous province.

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.

Soldiers and police have been deployed to help people search for their loved ones under the mud.

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.