At least 10 people have been killed and many others are missing after a landslide broke the banks of a natural dam in Panjshir province, north eastern Afghanistan.
Reuters said that the landslide hit Peshghor village in Khenj district, Panjshir province.
Afghanistan news network TOLOnews reported that the landslide occurred between 11 and 12 July, 2018. “When the landslide broke the banks of the dam, fast flowing water surged through a valley in the mountainous area carving out a path of destruction,” TOLOnews said.
Floodwaters swept into villages downstream and initial reports suggest that between 200 and 400 homes have been damaged or destroyed and at least 2 communities in the province have been cut off.
Omar Mohammadi, spokesman for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said via Social Media that rescue teams, including 2 helicopters, have been sent to the area to assess the damage, help search for the missing and recover bodies. Relief supplies including food and drinking water have also been sent.
TOLOnews said that, according to officials, ice on a nearby mountain melted and triggered the landslide, which in turn caused the flood.
Social Media
Landslide/floods in #Panjshir took life of 10 people and destroyed many homes. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/ZRjQpCsmTl
— Wais Barakzai (@WaisBarakzai) July 12, 2018
#Panjshir – 10 people missing after a landslide broke the banks of a natural dam in Panjshir province late yesterday. Water from the dam flooded a village damaging over 400 houses, officials confirm #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/fY607ikTdP
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) July 12, 2018
