Seven die in Afghan flood; 2 hurt in water protest

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, May 1 (Reuters) Seven Afghans were killed in flooding caused by heavy rain in the north of the country, a provincial governor said today.

''Forty homes have been destroyed but we don't yet know the number of injured,'' said Abdul Latif Ibrahimi, governor of the province of Faryab, which was hit by heavy rain yesterday.

An emergency team was on its way to the inundated area, he said.

Elsewhere in the Afghan north, several thousand people held an angry protest today, complaining that opium-growers were stealing their water.

Police opened fire on the protest wounding two people, a provincial government official said. Police said they were forced to fire when protesters started throwing stones.

''Warlords are violating our rights,'' said one protester, Sardar Mohammad.

''We don't have water for drinking but they are watering their poppies. We want our rights,'' he said.

Afghanistan is the world's biggest producer of illegal opium despite government efforts to ban the crop.

REUTERS SB PC1648