Snowfall claims 10 lives in Jawzjan

SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): Heavy snowfall, accompanied by a severe cold wave, has killed 10 people and 920 domestic animals in Darz Aab and Qush Tepa districts of northern Jawzjan province, officials said on Wednesday.

Mohibullah, the Darz Aab district’s administrative head, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the fatalities had occurred in far-flung villages of Komarleak and Aqbalq.

He said land routes to the two districts had been blocked due to heavy snowfall, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the affected areas.

Haji Qurban, a resident of Darz Aab, said one of his relatives was among the dead. The area people are poor and unable to arrange fuel for heating their homes, according to him.

Abdur Rahman Mahmoodi, the deputy governor of Jawzjan, said the provincial authorities lacked resources to help the victims. The central government had been approached for assistance, he added.

Earlier, eight individuals lost their lives and 10 others were injured by an avalanche in northeastern Badakhshan province.

nh/mud