At least 20 people died in a severe flash flood in eastern Afghanistan.

Another 30 injured and at least four missing were reported in a district of Lugar province, the police said on Sunday.

Half of the fatalities are said to be children.

More than 3,000 houses were damaged or destroyed.

Footage on social media showed the bodies of children and flooded villages.

"The situation is very worrying," said a police spokesman for the German Press Agency.

The people urgently need help.

According to the National Disaster Management Agency, emergency services have been trying to rescue people from the floods with helicopters since Saturday evening.

An emergency camp has also been set up.

Afghanistan is hit by seasonal floods every year.

At least 32 people died in the eastern province of Parwan last week after floodwaters flowed through several valleys.

With no warning system in place in the mountainous country, flash floods often take residents by surprise.