At Least 35 Killed In Afghan Flash Floods

Afghan people survey their damaged houses after flooding in Herat on March 29.

Flash floods have killed at least 35 people in Afghanistan, destroying homes and cutting off access to remote villages across parts of the country, officials say.

Heavy flooding that started on March 29 killed at least 12 people in the northern province of Faryab and 10 people in the western province of Herat, Hashmat Bahaduri, a spokesman for Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said on March 30.

Eight people were killed in Badghis Province in the west and five in Balkh Province in the north, Bahaduri said, adding that more than 3,000 houses had been destroyed.

More than 10 people were reportedly missing.

Floods have destroyed hundreds of homes, some historic sites, thousands of acres of farmland, bridges, and highways, Jilani Farhad, a spokesman for the western province of Herat, said.

Mir Gulabuddin Miri, director of the Afghan Red Crescent in Herat, said access to some areas had been cut off, preventing teams from reaching affected people.

"The destruction is huge. Over 12 areas in the province have been badly hit, people have lost their houses. We've only been able to provide them with some food and blankets so far," he said.

Afghanistan has seen an increased amount of snow and rain across the country in the past weeks.

Torrential rains and floods have also hit several provinces in neighboring Iran, where 44 people have reportedly been killed and dozens injured.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP