KABUL – The death toll from the heavy rains lashing northern Afghanistan since the weekend has risen to 47 after floods spread to Takhar province, where officials expect the death toll to rise over the next few hours.

At least 13 people, many of them children, have died and 12 others have been injured in northeastern Takhar since Sunday night, regional emergency management office director Razaq Zenda told EFE Monday.

The torrential rains also destroyed hundreds of houses and damaged thousands of hectares of farmland across the region.

“We are afraid the number of victims in Takhar may rise as evaluation teams are still collecting more information on losses,” Zenda said.

Four other provinces were affected by torrential rains on Saturday in northern Afghanistan, where 34 people died and dozens of others were injured.

The downpours also destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmland.

In early April, the heavy rainfall left at least 21 dead in southern Afghanistan and caused significant property losses.

In southern Asian countries, rains are responsible for significant loss of life and property each year, especially during the monsoon period between June and September.