Heavy snowfall and flooding in various parts of Afghanistan have taken the lives of at least 10 peo-ple, said authorities.
Based on reports, around 10 people have died and more than 30 others have been injured in avalanches and weather-related accidents in Badakhsan, Bamyan, Nimroz, Farah, Jawzjan and Faryab prov-inces.
Meanwhile, the Salang Pass Protection Department says that heavy snowfall in the south of Salang has closed the Kabul-North highway, and in the past 24 hours, this route has been opened only Intermit-tently to the traffic.
In the past 24 hours, more than twenty provinces of the country have witnessed heavy snowfall, and a deadly avalanche in the Raghistan district of Badakhsan killed five people and caused significant financial damage.
“It has been three days now that transportation routes have been closed due to heavy snowfall, and many people have died due to floods,” said Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Badakhshan.
In the meantime, several traffic incidents have also been reported as a result of snowfall and flooding in Faryab, Laghman, Bamyan and Jawzjan provinces, leaving around 10 people dead and 33 injured.
“We have ordered our teams to provide services for those who have been affected by floods and snow-fall and to start operations to save people’s lives as soon as possible,” said Maulvi Enayatullah, deputy minister of disaster management.
This comes as heavy rains in the south of the coun-try caused flooding in Maiwand district of Kandahar province which resulted in the closing of the Kan-dahar-Helmand highway.
“Heavy rains have taken many lives and caused great financial damage to the people, and so far we have not received any assistance,” said Mir Hamza, a resident of Kandahar.
The National Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement urging people to dig wells to replenish groundwater, and to use snow to refill their wells.
