KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s police command in Panjshir says that two children drowned and lost their lives today (Tuesday, June 9) in the Paryan district and the provincial center of Panjshir.
Haqmal Saad, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Panjshir, said that in the first incident, at around 10:00 a.m., a child in the village of “Pas Mazar” in Paryan district fell into an agricultural water canal while playing near it and drowned.
He added that another child drowned and died at around 1:00 p.m. in a river in the Bazarak area, the center of Panjshir province.
The spokesperson said that the bodies of the children were recovered from the water and handed over to their families.
According to statistics released by local Taliban officials in Panjshir, at least five people have drowned and lost their lives in the province over the past month.
The recent incidents highlight the growing number of drowning-related fatalities in Afghanistan, particularly among children during the warmer months when rivers, canals, and other water sources are frequently used for recreation. The recurring accidents have raised concerns about the lack of safety measures, protective barriers, and public awareness campaigns aimed at preventing drownings in both rural and urban areas.
The Taliban’s disaster management authority has also announced that 75 people across the country have died as a result of drowning during the past one and a half months.
Local media and officials have reported multiple cases involving young people and teenagers who drowned while swimming in rivers and reservoirs in several provinces, including Nangarhar, Khost, Kapisa and Ghazni. In many cases, victims were reportedly unfamiliar with local water conditions or lacked swimming skills.
Children continue to account for the majority of drowning victims. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) statistics, more than half of those who lost their lives during the reporting period were children, highlighting the risks faced by young people in areas where rivers, canals and reservoirs are easily accessible and often lack protective barriers or warning signs.
Drowning remains a recurring public safety challenge in Afghanistan, particularly during the warmer months when rising temperatures draw families and young people to rivers and reservoirs for recreation. Limited rescue services, inadequate swimming education and a lack of public awareness campaigns have been cited by officials and observers as factors contributing to the continued loss of life.
