Heavy rain triggers deadly floods and landslides across Afghanistan, leaving dozens dead and widespread damage

Rain keeps returning, and the damage keeps growing

The rain came in waves, then returned again, and then again. Over ten days, storms moved across Afghanistan, soaking the ground until it could no longer hold.

Water began to rise. Hillsides began to shift.

At least 77 people have been killed and 137 injured as floods, landslides and lightning strikes spread across the country. In just the last 48 hours, 26 lives were lost as conditions worsened.

The weather has not settled yet. More rain is expected.

Homes collapse and families lose everything

As the rain continued, the impact reached deep into communities.

Floodwater moved through villages, filling homes and sweeping away structures, while landslides followed behind, cutting through slopes and burying what remained.

Authorities report that 793 homes have been completely destroyed, while another 2,673 have been damaged. More than 5,800 families have been affected.

For many, the loss is total.

Water entered first. Then the ground gave way.

Roads break apart and key routes are cut

The damage is not only in homes.

Across the country, roads have been damaged or blocked, making travel difficult and, in some cases, impossible. Around 337 kilometers of roads have been affected by flooding and landslides.

One of the most important routes, the Kabul to Jalalabad highway, linking Kabul, Afghanistan with eastern provinces and the Pakistani border, has been shut after landslides and rockfalls covered sections of the road.

Crews are working to clear debris, but movement remains slow.

Further north, the Salang Pass through the Hindu Kush, a key connection between Kabul, Afghanistan and cities including Kunduz, Afghanistan and Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, has also been closed.

The country feels cut into pieces.

The storm brings danger in different forms

The danger has not come from one source alone.

Floods have surged through valleys, landslides have followed on weakened slopes, and lightning has struck during the storms. Each has added to the toll.

The pattern repeats itself across regions. Rain falls. Ground weakens. Something gives.

The system does not move quickly. It lingers.

More rain ahead as the risk remains high

Forecasts indicate that the pattern will continue.

More rain is expected across Afghanistan in the coming days, which means the risk remains elevated in areas where the ground is already saturated.

Authorities have warned residents to avoid riverbanks and flood-prone areas, and to remain cautious when traveling through affected regions.

The rain has not finished.