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
TT

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.



Mexico Plans Alert App for Migrants Facing Arrest in US after Trump Threats of Deportations

A demonstrator at a Mexico-US border crossing in Tijuana holds a banner with the image of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants - AFP
A demonstrator at a Mexico-US border crossing in Tijuana holds a banner with the image of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants - AFP
TT

Mexico Plans Alert App for Migrants Facing Arrest in US after Trump Threats of Deportations

A demonstrator at a Mexico-US border crossing in Tijuana holds a banner with the image of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants - AFP
A demonstrator at a Mexico-US border crossing in Tijuana holds a banner with the image of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants - AFP

Mexico will launch a mobile application with an alert button for migrants facing imminent detention in the United States, the government said Friday, following President-elect Donald Trump's threats of mass deportations.

"If you find yourself facing imminent arrest, you press an alert button that sends a signal to the nearest consulate," Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente told a news conference, AFP reported.

The app, which is expected to be ready in January, will also notify the person's family and the Mexican foreign ministry, he added.

There were an estimated four million unauthorized Mexican immigrants in the United States in 2022, according to the US-based Pew Research Center.

Mexico has dozens of consulates across the neighboring country.

The Mexican government has been in talks with other countries including Guatemala and Honduras about their own contingency plans for possible mass deportations after Trump takes office on January 20, according to De la Fuente.

He said there would be a ministerial-level meeting between countries that are sources of migrants later to discuss the issue.

Trump has promised to declare a national emergency at the border with Mexico and expel millions who lack residency papers, calling the arrival of migrants an "invasion."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said her government is preparing a document highlighting the contribution of Mexican workers to the US economy.