HERAT, Afghanistan, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains and flooding have killed eight people in the western Herat and northern Baghlan provinces, officials said Friday.

Jilani Farhad, the spokesman for Herat provincial government, said that five people lost their lives in flash floods that washed away several villages in Karakh district on Thursday night.

According to the official, 17 more villagers are still missing following the floods and efforts are underway to find and rescue them if were alive.

Similarly, the downpour and flash floods claimed the lives of three people and injured six others in Deh Salah district of the northern Baghlan province on Thursday night, district governor Faiz Mohammad Hamidi said Friday.

Hundreds of houses and thousands of acres of farm lands were also washed away or badly damaged due to the floods in the said provinces, the officials said.

More than 80 people have been killed, over 200 injured and more than 42,000 others displaced due to flooding in Afghanistan over the past nearly one month, according to the officials.