Avalanches kill 12 and destroy 50 dwellings in Afghanistan

KABUL (TOLOnews): According to local officials, several avalanches have destroyed 50 homes and claimed the lives of at least 12 people in Badakhshan, a province in the northeastern part of Afghanistan.
The incident occurred due to heavy snowfall in the Raghistan and Deraim districts of Badakhshan, a mountainous province bordering Tajikistan and Pakistan, the official added.
Earlier last week, an avalanche hit a vehicle in Badakhshan province, resulting in two fatalities and six injuries.
Most mountain roads have been closed due to heavy snowfall; vehicles have become trapped, and passengers have perished in freezing temperatures.
Badakhshan is one of the country’s provinces consistently hit with severe snowfall and a frigid environment. Most of the districts in the province became blocked throughout the winter, which made it difficult for humanitarian organizations to provide air and support.
According to the report, the country experienced its coldest winter in January 2023, which resulted in more than 200 fatalities, 70,000 animal deaths, and numerous injuries.