Death toll rises to 122 in Afghan flash floods, many missing

Families and rescue workers in Afghanistan searched on Wednesday for survivors of flash floods that killed more than 122 people and destroyed more than 1,500 houses north of the capital, Kabul, officials said.

At least 250 people were injured when torrential rain earlier in the week triggered flash floods that ravaged large-parts of Parwan province, officials in the disaster management ministry said.

"The situation is very grim, the scale of loss is intense," said Tamim Azimi, a spokesman for the ministry said.

"Many people are still missing."

Survivors said many children were among the dead. The death toll was expected to rise as families prepared for mass burials with extensive rubble yet to be cleared.

Afghanistan regularly sufers from drought but can be hit by very heavy rain during the south Asian monsoon.