A landslide caused by an overflowing mountain lake swept through a village in Afghanistan resulting in killing at least 10 people and destroying 300 houses.
Debris and water flow, which provoked a flood, caused the disaster. According to officials, the search for survivors is conducted by using only basic digging tools. People were trapped at the debris of the landslide in Peshghor village, Khenj district. A rescue team flew to the site with 2 helicopters to save those who managed to survive.
Jamil Ahmad, a local resident who escaped, describes the dramatic experience from his point of view. He said that he was lying in bed just before he heard a sound like "jets" flying overhead. "Somebody shouted 'Flood!' and I ran away with my family to higher ground. The people started firing (weapons) into the air to warn others about the flood," he explains. "The water and mud had inundated most of the houses in the village, and destroyed a religious school, two mosques and the main market. Three women from my neighborhood and two laborers who didn't hear the warning were taken away by the flood," he added. According to Ahmad, the villagers had been worried about the possibility of a landslide event and some of them had abandoned their homes to stay in higher ground.
Such disasters are considered common in mountainous areas of Afghanistan this period of the year as snow melts and increases water table level. The phenomenon is exacerbated by deforestation. President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, said that he was "deeply saddened" by the latest natural disaster and ordered "relevant authorities to provide urgent assistance to the affected people."
Sources: Reuters.com, South China Morning Post
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