47 Dead in Heavy Rain, Floods in Northern Afghanistan

People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
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47 Dead in Heavy Rain, Floods in Northern Afghanistan

People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
People remove debris from a house damaged by the flood in Firozkoh the capital city of Ghor Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

At least 47 people have died after continued heavy rain and flooding in northern Afghanistan, an official said on Sunday, a day after a similar number were killed in a central province.
Shamsudden Mohammedi, head of the information department for Faryab province in the north, told Reuters at least 300 hundred houses were destroyed, based on initial reports.
On Saturday, at least 50 died in the central province of Ghor, said Mawlawi Abdul Hai Zaeem, the head of the province's information department.
Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters, and the United Nations considers it one of countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Last week, flash floods caused by heavy rains devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, killing 315 and injuring more than 1,600, authorities said on Sunday.
On Wednesday, a helicopter used by the Afghan air force crashed due to "technical issues" during attempts to recover the bodies of people who had fallen into a river in Ghor province, killing one and injuring 12, the defense ministry said.



Russia Targets Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure on Christmas Day

Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024.  Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
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Russia Targets Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure on Christmas Day

Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024.  Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS

Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and over 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine's power sources, in a statement on X. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said one Russian missile passed Moldovan and Romanian airspace.
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?" Zelenskyy said. “They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”
He said Ukraine has managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones.
Ukrainian energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, said Russia again “massively attacks energy infrastructure," in a Facebook statement. Ukraine’s Air Force alerted multiple missiles fired at Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions east of the country.
“The (electricity) distribution system operator takes the necessary measures to limit consumption to minimize negative consequences for the power system,” he said. “As soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will establish the damage caused.”
Ukraine’s biggest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia struck one of their thermal power plants Wednesday morning, making it the 13th attack on Ukraine’s power grid this year.
“Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered,” Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK wrote on his X account.
Ukrainian state energy operator, Ukrenergo, applied preemptive power outages across the country, due to a “massive missile attack,” leading to electricity going out in several districts of the capital, Kyiv.
At least seven strikes targeted Kharkiv sparking fires across the city, regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At least three people were injured, local authorities said.
“Kharkiv is under massive missile fire. A series of explosions rang out in the city and there are still ballistic missiles flying in the direction of the city. Stay in safe places,” Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said.