RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal
August 29, 2020
Rescuers are continuing to search for victims of flash flooding that has left hundreds dead in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Officials in Afghanistan said on August 29 that about 160 people had been killed in 13, mostly northern, provinces that have been struck by the flooding.
In neighboring Pakistan, at least 96 people were reported killed in flooding that was mostly concentrated in the southeastern part of the country.
“This is unprecedented [rainfall] and has broken all previous records,” Murad Ali Shah, chief minister of Sindh Province, told journalists, adding that on August 27 alone, Karachi received 230 millimeters of rain.
At least 2 million people in Karachi have been affected by the flooding, with some neighborhoods virtually inaccessible because of the high water.
In Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said security forces were helping with recovery efforts, while NATO issued a statement saying its forces were also assisting.
The monsoon season in the region lasts from June to September.
With reporting by AFP and AP
Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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