Snow, heavy rain kill 61 in three days in Afghanistan

AFP/APP

Kabul: Snowfall and heavy rain have killed at least 61 people across Afghanistan over the past three days, the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said on Saturday.

According to ANDMA, the fatalities were reported between Wednesday and Friday, with most deaths occurring in central and northern provinces, as shown in a damage assessment map released by the authority.

ANDMA said its initial assessment also recorded 110 injured people and 458 houses that were either partially or completely destroyed by the severe weather.

A total of 360 families have been affected, an ANDMA spokesman said in a video message, urging citizens to avoid unnecessary travel on snow-covered and hazardous roads.

Authorities said the Salang Highway, one of Afghanistan’s main transport routes linking the north and south, has been closed due to heavy snowfall, according to officials in Parwan province.

Meanwhile, food supplies were distributed to travellers stranded on a mountain pass in the central Bamyan province, officials added.