Devastation as Afghan dam bursts

Floods have followed Afghanistan's worst winter in years

A dam has burst in south-eastern Afghanistan killing at least six people and causing widespread devastation, officials say.

Floodwaters are reported to have caused a breach in the Sultan dam, 30km north-west of the city of Ghazni.

The governor of Ghazni province told the BBC that thousands of hectares of land had been washed away and hundreds of shops destroyed.

Afghanistan has suffered heavy flooding in recent weeks caused by melting snow.

Relief supplies

Ghazni governor Asadullah Khalid said it was difficult to confirm the exact number of dead because main roads in the area have been blocked by the flowing water.

The head of Afghanistan's Red Crescent, Muhammad Ghaus Awlia, said his organisation was arranging relief supplies to thousands of affected people.

A US military spokeswoman, Lieutenant Cindy Moore, said four helicopters had been sent to the scene.

The government of President Hamid Karzai has also sent three cabinet ministers to take a stock of the situation.

More than 200 people are now known to have been killed by severe flooding in Afghanistan in recent weeks after torrential rain and melting snow caused rivers to overflow.

Officials in the worst-hit area, the central province of Uruzgan, say thousands of homes have been destroyed leaving many people missing.

As well as Uruzgan, the western provinces of Farah and Herat, the central province of Ghor and the northern province of Faryab have been badly affected.