RASC News Agency: At least 28 people, including 17 children, have tragically lost their lives, and nearly 10 others have sustained injuries following catastrophic floods in the provinces of Farah, Kandahar, and Helmand. Reports from Farah province indicate that 21 members of two families perished as torrential floods swept through their villages. Among the victims were children, women, and young men, all of whom succumbed to the unforgiving deluge. Local sources confirm that in Farah province alone, the flooding has claimed 21 lives and injured six others. The disaster struck on Tuesday, February 25, in the Kojer village of Pushtkoh district. Farzad, a resident of Qala Ka district in Farah, described the scale of the tragedy, stating, “The warm weather had brought families outdoors to the hills for leisure. Around 1 PM, an intense downpour of rain and hail descended upon the area, turning a peaceful afternoon into chaos.”
He recounted, “These innocent souls stood no chance caught in the raging floodwaters, they were swept away in an instant. Among the victims were 21 individuals from two families, including men, women, and children. Six others sustained injuries in the catastrophe.” Similarly, Mudassir, a resident of Bakwa district, described the devastation in his area: “Floodwaters have caused massive destruction here as well. One person from our district lost their life, and nearly 30 others were injured. Homes have collapsed, solar panels have been damaged by the hailstorm and powerful winds, and vast stretches of farmland now lie submerged under water.”
Reports indicate that two families from the villages of Gojar and Maqboolak in Pushtkoh district had set out for a picnic when disaster struck. As they sought refuge from the torrential rainfall in a low-lying area, a sudden and powerful flash flood engulfed them. The calamity resulted in the deaths of 20 individuals, including women and children, while four others sustained injuries. A list obtained by 8AM Daily reveals that 18 members of a single family, led by a man named Mir Aqa, perished, with only one survivor who suffered injuries. Additionally, two members of another family, led by Sayed Ahmad, lost their lives, while three others were wounded.
The list of victims from Mir Aqa’s family in Gojar village includes elderly women, young children, and adult men. Among them were 12 children eight girls and four boys while the remaining six victims were between 18 and 50 years old. In Maqboolak village, a 9-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy were killed, while three others, including a 3-year-old child, sustained injuries. Despite these tragic reports, the Taliban’s Disaster Management Chief in Farah stated that 23 people lost their lives in Kojer village, Pushtkoh district, while 44 others were injured. In Bakwa district, local officials confirmed the destruction of eight homes, 800 solar panels, and nearly 2,000 acres of farmland.
Meanwhile, the Taliban authorities reported that floods in Kandahar and Helmand provinces claimed an additional seven lives. In Kandahar’s Panjwai district, three young girls tragically drowned in Shorandam village. The recent wave of torrential rainfall and flash floods has inflicted widespread devastation across multiple provinces in western and southern Afghanistan, leaving communities in distress and infrastructure severely compromised.
