Heavy snowfall kills 4 children in Afghanistan

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Heavy snow and avalanches killed at least four children in Afghanistan’s central Daikundi province, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Officials told Anadolu Agency that the incident took place in the Keti district in the central highlands when religious school students got trapped in a pile of snow.

According to Assadullah Sarwari, the provincial head of disasters management authority, the children were heading to their winter class in the Islamic seminary. A rescue and relief team was sent to the area, Sarwari told Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, snowstorm and landslide injured at least 15 people, including women and children, in neighboring Bamyan province where key transport routes remained closed since Friday.

According to the local daily 8AM News, the incident took place in the Yaka Olang district where a number of residential homes were damaged due to the heavy snowfall.

A day earlier, the National Disaster Management Authority announced the reopening of the key Salang highway after days of closure due to heavy snow. This main artery connects all northern provinces with the capital Kabul.