Snow, heavy rain kill 61 in three days in Afghanistan

Snow and heavy rain have killed 61 people in Afghanistan in the past three days, disaster officials said on Saturday, with a major road and power also cut in several provinces.

The deaths occurred mainly in central and northern provinces between Wednesday and Friday, according to a map released by Afghanistan’s disaster management authority (ANDMA).

The “initial figures of casualties and destruction” also include 110 injured people and 458 houses that were either partially or fully destroyed, ANDMA said on social media platform X.

A total of 360 families were affected, said a spokesman who asked people in a video message to avoid unnecessary travel on snowy roads.

The spokesman also told AFP that most of the casualties were caused by roof collapses and avalanches, while many also died from frostbite in sub-zero temperatures.

The emergency department in the southern province of Kandahar said six children were killed when the roof of their home collapsed in strong wind and heavy rain on Wednesday.

Houses were also damaged in other districts.

Major highway cut

The Salang highway, one of Afghanistan’s main roads, has been closed, authorities in Parwan province north of Kabul said. The highway is a vital connection to Afghanistan’s northern provinces.

Food supplies were also distributed to travellers stuck on a mountain pass in central Bamyan province, west of the capital.

A transmission line importing electricity from Uzbekistan was also damaged on Thursday, leaving households in almost 12 provinces without power.

“The technical teams are ready but cannot reach the area because of the blockage of Salang pass,” said Mohammad Sadiq, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s national power utility DABS.

The heavy snow and rain also destroyed shops and killed livestock in different parts of the predominantly rural country.

“Snow and rain, when managed properly, contribute positively to Afghanistan’s environment and livelihoods,” the Kabul Times daily wrote in an editorial.

“However, without sufficient preparation and timely intervention, these natural phenomena can quickly turn into sources of tragedy,” it said.

Around half of Afghanistan’s population of more than 40 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations, after a sharp drop in foreign assistance in recent years.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes and drought also often compound the daily struggle to survive.