ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Heavy snowfall and rain in Afghanistan has killed at least 61 people and injured 110 others, the country’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Saturday (Jan 24), the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
NDMA spokesman, Mohammad Yousuf Hammad, said 458 houses have been completely or partially destroyed over the past three days of severe weather, affecting at least 360 families, with losses of livestock also reported.
Hammad said the figures were preliminary, adding that assessment teams were continuing surveys in affected regions and that the toll could rise.
In a separate announcement, the Ministry of Public Works said the Salang Tunnel, a key route linking the capital Kabul with northern provinces, has been closed to traffic for the past three days due to heavy snowfall.
The tunnel is a vital corridor for trade and transport between the regions.
Mohammad Nasim Moradi, head of meteorology at the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, told dpa that forecasts for the next two days indicate snow and rain will continue in several parts of the country, likely causing further travel disruptions and road blockages in mountainous areas, including the Salang region.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with millions of people in need of assistance due to overlapping shocks, including extreme weather, drought, food insecurity, migrant returns and weak infrastructure. – BERNAMA-dpa
