Flood kills 17 in Afghanistan

A FLASH flood swept through villages in a mountainous area of northern Afghanistan yesterday, killing at least 17 people.

It was the second major flood reported this week in the north.

Abdul Jabar Taqwa, governor of Takhar province, said flood waters broke through a dam early yesterday, washed down a valley and damaged several villages in Ishkamish district.

“Dozens of villages have been hit. I’m worried that the death toll will go up.”

On 6 May, another flood swept through Dhy Marda in Sari Pul province, killing 21 people, many of them members of a wedding party.