Emergency workers and local residents in eastern Afghanistan are searching through thick mud and large boulders using bare hands and wooden poles following severe flash floods that killed at least 23 people.
The deluge struck Nuristan province on Monday afternoon, sweeping away markets, hotels, and homes across the provincial capital of Parun and nearby mountain settlements.
The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority confirmed that at least 23 people have died, more than 80 others are injured, and around 100 people remain unaccounted for.
Local officials reported that several government workers, including the mayor of Parun, are among those missing after municipal offices were destroyed by the rising waters.
Eyewitnesses described the sudden arrival of floodwaters as feeling like a major earthquake, with residents forced to scramble up mountainsides to escape the rushing torrents.
Community leaders in Parun stated that riverside markets and local businesses were completely wiped out, leaving only thick mud and heavy stone deposits across the capital.
Heavy machinery deployed to the remote region has faced significant difficulties clearing the massive boulders and thick sediment covering key roads and structures.
The Afghan Red Crescent Society has deployed volunteer teams to deliver emergency food rations, drinking water, and temporary shelter to families who lost their homes in the disaster.
Defence officials confirmed that military units have been dispatched to support relief efforts, while United Nations agencies are conducting damage assessments to coordinate international humanitarian aid.
Extreme weather conditions also affected neighbouring Pakistan, where authorities reported 12 fatalities linked to heavy rainfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Environmental officials warned that Afghanistan remains particularly exposed to the impacts of global climate change, with deforestation and changing weather patterns contributing to increasingly severe spring and summer flooding.
The national weather service has issued further warnings for heavy rainfall, strong winds, and flash floods across 10 provinces, urging residents in high-risk zones to move away from riverbanks.
