At least 31 people were killed while dozens of others remain missing after a devastating flash flood hit several districts in Afghanistan's central province of Maidan Wardak, local officials said Sunday.

Within the past 72 hours, at least 31 people have lost their lives across the country, the disaster management agency confirmed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

A total of eight provinces were affected.

Many deaths were reported in the province of Maidan Wardak. There, numerous residents were killed in their sleep by floodwaters.

According to the disaster control authority, dozens more people are missing. Hundreds of houses are said to have been damaged or destroyed and roads have been closed to traffic.

In a statement, the Taliban's government called on aid agencies to provide emergency support to the victims.

Flash floods usually catch people by surprise as there is no alarm system in the mountainous country.

Decades of conflict, coupled with environmental degradation and insufficient investment in disaster risk reduction have contributed to the increasing vulnerability of Afghans to natural disasters, according to the United Nations.

On average, natural disasters affect 200,000 people yearly in the war-torn country.

Afghanistan is suffering greatly from the consequences of climate change, which is expected to exacerbate natural disasters.