Flash floods kill more than 70 in Afghanistan

A violent flash flood killed more than 70 people and destroyed hundreds of homes just north of Afghanistan's capital on Wednesday.

According to Ministry of Disaster Management spokesman Tamim Azimi, rescuers searched through mud throughout the day for bodies, with the confirmed death toll at 72, and at least 90 injured.

The floods swept through Parwan province, which borders Kabul, in the early hours of Wednesday, with the Ministry of Disaster Management spokesman blaming climate change for it.

A spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani said on Twitter that his office had instructed authorities to provide emergency disaster relief to survivors, adding the floods were causing severe financial losses.

The disaster comes as the war-torn nation already faces a sinking economy due to the coronavirus pandemic and as violence continues despite the United States attempting to usher peace talks between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban.