Floods, strong winds wreak havoc in Helmand

LASHKARGAH (PAN): Residents in some districts of southern Helmand province suffered financial losses after flash floods swept away their homes and household items, an official said on Wednesday.

Heavy rain led to flooding in Sangin, Kajaki, Greskh, Marja, Nad Ali and Nawa districts for two consecutive days on Monday and Tuesday, damaging thousands of homes, Helmand Natural Disaster Management Authority chief told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Mir Qalam Zahidi said there were strong winds that collapsed homes and destroyed standing crops and fruit orchards on vast swathes of lands in the affected areas.

However, he had no exact information about how much losses the disaster-hit families had suffered, saying thousands of homes had been damaged.

Zahid said investigative teams had been dispatched to assess financial losses incurred by residents. The survey would be followed by relief supplies, he said.

A Nad Ali resident, Fida Mohammad, said he lost his home to the heavy flooding — the worst he had seen. It destroyed more than one thousand homes in Nad Ali alone, he said.

A Marja dweller Saifullah said the government did not take precautionary measures to protect homes and agriculture lands from flooding. He said hundreds of homes were swept away in the area.

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