Heavy snow bocks key Badghis pass

QALA-I-NAW (PAN): Heavy snowfall has blocked a key pass connecting northwestern Badghis province with western Herat, officials said on Tuesday.

The Sabzak Pass has been closed since Monday night, the public works director told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Up to 80 centimetres of snow had been recorded in the area, Maliha said, adding her department had asked the contractor to reopen the highway.

Drivers and passengers, urging urgent steps to reopen the pass, accused the firm of negligence and ignoring people’s problems.

Fakhruddin, a driver, said passengers faced problems due the highway blockade and the contractor was using a single bulldozer to remove the snow.

However, the company’s officials said they were using two vehicles for clearing the snow and that efforts were ongoing to reopen the highway as soon as possible.

mrh/ma/mud