Flash floods kill 22 in northern Afghanistan

Flash floods in northern Afghanistan have left 22 people dead, 50 missing and destroyed thousands of homes, an official said Sunday. The floods swept through Sar-i-Pul city on Saturday evening, governor's spokesman Abdul Farid Ferungi said. "The deadly flood which occurred after a two-hour rainfall has transformed 80 per cent of the city in to ruins and about 10,000 people were forced to find temporary shelter in schools, mosques and a teacher training centre," Ferungi told German press agency (dpa). He said some 50 people were still missing. Northern Afghanistan has been hit by several spring floods this year as the winter's heavy snow in the Pamir mountains melts. "Eight rescue teams have been dispatched to the flood-hit areas and the relief organizations have distributed first-aid to the people," Ferungi said. "The floods have also destroyed thousands of acres of farmlands in Sangcharak and Sayyad districts," he said.