Scores ofpeople have been killed and hundreds have fled their homes after heavy rainscaused floods and avalanches in large areas of Afghanistanand Pakistan.

Governmentofficials said at least 30 people died in the central Afghan province of Daikundiand seven in Heart.

Afghanistan had been suffering a droughtbefore the rainfall, the heaviest it has suffered in years, struck last week.

Aministry official said that 600 people urgently needed to be evacuated from thesouthern province of Uruguzan to escaperising waters.

Villagersmissing

Elevenmore were killed in across other areas of Afghanistanwhile avalanches in neighbouring Pakistan killed at least 23 peopleon Saturday night.

Rescueworkers are struggling to find 15 more people missing in Turkoh, aremote village in the Hindu Kushmountains in the Chitral region.

Hundreds of cattle were also killed by the rains as the floods inundatedthousands of hectares of land and washed away or damaged bridges around thecountry, including in the capital, Kabul.

Rains also caused avalanches and landslides in northeast Afghanistan,where nearly 20 people died last week.

Children killed

Meanwhile, three children were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself upnear a convoy of soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, a provincialpolice spokesman said.

Three soldiers and four other civilians were also wounded in the attack in the province of Laghman,around 100km east of Kabul.

The explosion occurred near a base that is believed to be run by UStroops.

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force confirmed there hadbeen an incident, but gave no details.

Seven policemen were killed in a Taliban ambush on Saturday as they weretravelling to support another unit being attacked in the district of Shorabakin the southwest of the country.

Theambush took place on Saturday as the reinforcements headed to a post inShorabak district in the southwestern corner of the country.