Kabul, March 30 (IANS) As many as 28 people were killed and 49 others were injured due to heavy rains, floods and lightning in several provinces of Afghanistan since February 26, according to the Disaster Preparedness Authority spokesperson Mohammad Yousuf Hamad, local media reported on Monday.

Hamad said that the affected provinces include Kandahar, Helmand, Herat, Ghor, Kabul, Kapisa, Parwan, Panjshir, Jawzjan, Faryab, Badakhshan, Bamyan, Daikundi, Paktia, Paktika, Logar, Zabul, Balkh, Badghis, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Baghlan, Takhar, Laghman, and Nangarhar, Afghanistan's Tolo News reported.

As many as 568 houses and 10 shops were destroyed, 93 kilometres of roads were damaged, and around 244 livestock were lost during these floods. Hamad said that 1,130 families have been impacted by these rains.

Hamad said that the Disaster Preparedness Authority has sent assistance, food supplies and other aid to the impacted residents. Authorities have asked residents to ensure their safety and advised them to stay away from rivers and flood-prone regions.

In January, at least 11 people were killed and three others injured after heavy snowfall and rain lashed several provinces of Afghanistan.

According to the disaster management authority spokesperson, initial reports from provincial authorities indicated that severe weather had affected residents in Parwan, Wardak, southern Kandahar, northern Jawzjan, Faryab, and central Bamiyan.

The spokesperson said nine houses were partially destroyed, and 530 livestock were lost due to the storms, which severely impacted local livelihoods in these agrarian regions, adding that the snow accumulation had blocked key roads.

In October last year, the authority said that 721 families were impacted due to recent rainfall and flash floods in the three provinces - Kabul, Laghman, and Kapisa, Tolo News reported. Authority spokesperson Hamad said that several residential houses had been completely or partially destroyed, more than 1,000 acres of agricultural land had been washed away, and fruit farmers have faced significant losses.

--IANS

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