AFGHANISTAN: Snowstorms kill 18 in the north

KABUL, 31 Jan 2006 (IRIN) - Severe winter weather in Afghanistan has killed at least 18 people in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

“Heavy snowstorms have hit five villages in the Kuhistan-e-Ragh district of Badakhshan, killing 15 people,” Abdul Majid, governor of Badakhshan, said, adding affected people were in dire need of relief assistance. At least three more people are reported dead in the Ragh district of Badakhshan due to the bad weather.

The death toll is expected to climb as relief teams reach the isolated province. “Officials and local people are still evacuating dead bodies from under the snow and the death toll may rise,” Majid noted.

“Due to heavy snow, only helicopters can be used for delivering aid to the affected areas of Badakhshan,” Majid said. ”We need more relief assistance to help the victims.”

“Powerful snow has hampered relief operations in the affected areas of Badakhshan,” Abdul Rahim Zarin, spokesman at the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) said, adding they have sent relief teams to the affected areas to assess the damage.

Meanwhile, a landslide triggered by heavy snow has killed at least one person in the eastern province of Noristan, according to officials.

“A landslide hit a village in Wai Gul district of Noristan killing one person and 20 domestic animals,” Zarin noted.

In the middle of January, a landslide triggered by heavy rain and snow killed at least 13 people in a remote village in the Sar-e-Pol province, in the north. Last February, cold weather and heavy snowfalls across the country killed more than 500 people, mostly women and children. Roads blocked by snow led to a delay in getting assistance to nearly 61 districts in 19 affected provinces during that emergency.

[ENDS]