Fatal avalanche in western Afghanistan leaves three dead, police confirm

Three people were killed in an avalanche in Ghor province, western Afghanistan, on February 16, according to provincial police spokesman Abdul Rahman Badri. 

The victims, who were en route to Helmand province in the south, were caught in the disaster while travelling through Ankarchak village in the Pasawand district, Caliber.Az reports, referencing international media outlets.

Police have since recovered their bodies and returned them to their families, Badri confirmed.

This incident follows similar events in recent weeks, with at least five people losing their lives in avalanches across Badakhshan and Faryab provinces in the north.

Afghanistan has been experiencing cold weather and heavy snowfall over the past month, causing several roads and highways, including those linking the capital Kabul to other provinces, to be closed.

In February of last year, an avalanche in the eastern province of Nuristan killed 25 people. The avalanche occurred in the Tatin Valley of Nuristan, sweeping through the village of Nakre. The snow and rubble destroyed or heavily damaged about 20 houses. 

Landslides and avalanches are frequent hazards in Nuristan, a mountainous and forested region near the Pakistan border. The province has seen devastating natural disasters in the past, including a major avalanche in 2017 that killed more than 50 people, and flash flooding in 2021 that claimed dozens of lives.

By Tamilla Hasanova