The story appears on

Page A9

February 28, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeWorld

Over 250 people die in Afghan avalanches

MORE than 250 people have been killed in a series of avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall around Afghanistan this week, provincial authorities said yesterday.

The bulk of the deaths have come in Panjshir province, north of Kabul, where at least 186 people were killed, Acting Provincial Governor Abdul Rahman Kabiri said.

“Unfortunately, the death toll has risen to 186 people killed in avalanches in Panjshir province,” Kabiri said, warning it was not the final toll.

The avalanches came after days of heavy snow, which destroyed more than 100 homes in the province and blocked main roads, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the stricken villages.

The death toll was confirmed by Panjshir provincial police chief, Abdul Aziz Ghairat.

“The volume of snow is really huge in districts in Panjshir,” Ghairat said, “There are some districts where we do not have any news from them, the communication lines have cut off due to avalanches.”

Muhammad Aslam Sayas, deputy chief of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, said the army was distributing supplies to people in areas of Panjshir still unreachable by road.

“Helicopters are dropping medicines, blankets and other necessary items to remote areas of Panjshir,” Sayas said.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend