Travel Health: News Item: AFGHANISTAN
Northern Afghan snow claims more lives
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- AFGHANISTAN
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 09:08:35 +0100 (MET)KABUL, Feb 9, 2010 (AFP) - Heavy snow storms triggering avalanches have killed eight people and injured dozens more in the treacherous mountains of northern Afghanistan, an official said Tuesday, after heavy weather claimed 20 lives earlier in the week.Avalanches buried the casualties in cars and another 100 people were stranded in Salang, a mountain pass connecting Kabul to the north of the country, said Mohammad Akram Jalalzada, an official at the ministry of public works. "According to the latest information eight people have died in avalanches and about 40 others have been injured," he told AFP. "There are about 50 vehicles with around 100 people still stranded. We're working very hard to get them out of there," he said.Heavy snow and strong winds had slowed down the rescue operation, he added. The snow and rain follow an arid start to winter that raised fears about drought in the agrarian country over the coming farming season.Authorities said Monday that at least 20 people had died in snow and rains mostly in southern and southwestern regions. Hundreds of mud-brick houses were destroyed in floods caused by heavy rain in southern Kandahar province. The defence ministry announced that military helicopters evacuated dozens of villagers stranded in flood-hit villages outside Kandahar.
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- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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