At least 37 killed after avalanche hits village
Source: Agencies |
March 7, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
RESCUERS shoveled through deep snow yesterday searching for victims of an avalanche that destroyed a village of 200 people in northeastern Afghanistan, authorities said. Thirty-seven people have been confirmed dead, but authorities fear the death toll will rise.
"It is a mountainous area with so much snow," said Shams Ul Rahman, the deputy governor of Badakhshan province where the avalanche occurred on Sunday night. "My concern is that many more people were killed."
People from a nearby village were the first to reach the site. They were joined yesterday by rescue workers from Darwaz district, who walked for two days to reach the remote area.
About 100 rescuers equipped only with shovels are digging through mounds of snow looking for anyone who might have survived, Rahman said.
He said initial reports were that only three women and one child survived, as they were not in the village of Dasty at the time.
Mohammad Daim Kakar, general director of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, said authorities were trying to find two helicopters to ferry blankets, food and medicine to the site, which is close to the Tajikistan border.
Deadly avalanches are common in Afghanistan's mountainous north in winter. In February 2010, one killed more than 170 people at the 3,800-meter Salang Pass, which is the major route through the Hindu Kush mountains that connects the capital to the north.
"It is a mountainous area with so much snow," said Shams Ul Rahman, the deputy governor of Badakhshan province where the avalanche occurred on Sunday night. "My concern is that many more people were killed."
People from a nearby village were the first to reach the site. They were joined yesterday by rescue workers from Darwaz district, who walked for two days to reach the remote area.
About 100 rescuers equipped only with shovels are digging through mounds of snow looking for anyone who might have survived, Rahman said.
He said initial reports were that only three women and one child survived, as they were not in the village of Dasty at the time.
Mohammad Daim Kakar, general director of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, said authorities were trying to find two helicopters to ferry blankets, food and medicine to the site, which is close to the Tajikistan border.
Deadly avalanches are common in Afghanistan's mountainous north in winter. In February 2010, one killed more than 170 people at the 3,800-meter Salang Pass, which is the major route through the Hindu Kush mountains that connects the capital to the north.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
