 |
| [FILE PHOTO: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr/CC BY 2.0] |
Kabul: A series of avalanches caused by heavy snowfall have killed at least 28 people to the northeast of Kabul in Afghanistan's mountainous province of Panjshir.
Officials said on February 25 that dozens of people also are missing and that the death toll is expected to rise.
Two days of heavy snow have blocked main roads in the province, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the affected villages.
Provincial Police Chief Abdul Aziz Ghairat said houses were buried beneath snow and ice in the districts of Pariyan, Darah, and Bazarak.
The heavy snowfall also has blocked a key highway that leads to the Salang tunnel, which connects Kabul with provinces to the north of the Hindu Kush mountains.
Deadly avalanches are common in Afghanistan's high mountains during the winter.
Copyright (c) 2015. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.