KABUL (Dispatches) -- At least 23 people have died, and more than 100 remain missing after devastating flash floods struck Nuristan province in eastern Afghanistan. 
The disaster unfolded on Monday afternoon when torrential monsoon rains unleashed torrents of muddy water and massive boulders that cascaded down from the surrounding mountains, sweeping through the provincial capital, Parun. 
Parun’s mayor, Sayed Ahmad Arhabi, is confirmed among the deceased, and the death toll is feared to rise further as search operations continue.
According to Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, at least 80 people have been injured in the disaster. The floods have caused catastrophic damage across the city, destroying homes, shops, hotels, and municipal buildings, including the municipality itself. 
Zakirullah Zaki, manager of the Spogmai Hotel, which survived the deluge, described the event as “an act of God struck us,” adding that “the rest of the hotels, markets, and shops were completely destroyed”. 
Survivors have described scenes of terror, with one resident comparing the force of the flood to an earthquake, saying he heard “children and people screaming”.
Search and rescue efforts are being severely hampered by the remote and mountainous terrain of Nuristan. Parun is a 10-to-12-hour drive from the capital, Kabul, and the region lacks paved roads and reliable infrastructure. 
Residents, alongside volunteers from the Afghan Red Crescent Society, are being forced to dig through debris with their bare hands, wooden poles, and shovels, as heavy machinery is largely ineffective against the enormous boulders and thick mud covering the area. 
The Afghan Defense Ministry has deployed military personnel to assist, while the United Nations is assessing the scale of the humanitarian crisis. 
Relief efforts are being further complicated by continued heavy rain and warnings of more potential flash floods across ten provinces.
The tragedy highlights Afghanistan’s profound vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. The country is one of the world’s most susceptible to extreme weather events, and the situation is worsened by years of conflict, poverty, and mass deforestation that has reduced the land’s ability to absorb rainwater. 
This latest disaster follows a series of deadly floods that have hit the nation, including events that killed hundreds in previous years and at least 110 people earlier in 2026. 
For those who have survived, the emotional toll is immense. As one traumatized resident put it, “Everyone is traumatized, they didn’t sleep all night”.