DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY February 10, 2010 ~ Afghan Avalanches Kill 24, Up To 40 Missing Says Officials

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY February 10, 2010 ~ Afghan Avalanches Kill 24, Up To 40 Missing Says Officials *Source: DTN News / By Waheedullah Massoud (AFP) (NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - February 10, 2010: Avalanches triggered by heavy snow killed at least 24 people on a treacherous mountain pass in northern Afghanistan, injured dozens and left up to another 40 people missing, officials said.*Afghans get into an army truck Tuesday Feb. 9, 2010, after being evacuated from the avalanche which struck the Salang Pass, some 100 kms noth of Kabul, Afghanistan. Officials said the avalanches have killed at least 28 people and left another 1,500 stranded in a snow-blocked mountain pass, with the Defense Ministry releasing a statement saying another 70 people have been injured as rescue efforts continued to dig out hundreds of vehicles stuck on the pass north of Kabul. A blizzard struck the busy road connecting the capital Kabul to the north of the country on Monday, precipitating an avalanche that buried people in vehicles on a strategic pass. "The bodies of 24 of our compatriots have been found so far," Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar told reporters. "There could be up to 40 more still stranded and unfortunately they might have died already. That is the best estimate that we have at this moment," the minister added, speaking in English. Such deadly avalanches are rare in Afghanistan during winter, but are more frequent in the spring when heavy snows melt. Northern Afghanistan has traditionally been removed from the worst of the eight-year Taliban insurgency ransacking the south and east of the country. Afghan officials have released varying tolls for the disaster, with the public works ministry listing 15 dead and the defence ministry saying 30 were killed when an avalanche of snow trapped people in their vehicles. "These figures do change as we get more and more information as a result of the rescue operation. What is confirmed is 24 dead," Atmar said. He fended off questions about why the road was open in the first place, insisting the situation had appeared manageable until the storm struck out of nowhere as traffic continued through the pass as normal. "All of a sudden, a storm hit the area which resulted in a number of avalanches hitting the main highway and closing the road for up to 3.5 kilometres (two miles)," Atmar said. "So far the rescue operation has been aimed at (a) getting the stranded people out of that area, and (b) recovering the dead bodies and to taking the injured to hospitals," he said. The defence ministry announced that 1,500 people stranded by an avalanche had been rescued, but that 30 people died and 70 others were wounded. The public health ministry said 65 people were injured and that most were evacuated to the nearby Chaharikar city hospital. Acting public works minister Sohrab Ali Safari was in Salang to oversee the reopening of the southern end of the pass, which had been blocked by the avalanche, the ministry said. Heavy snows have hit many parts of mountainous Afghanistan in recent days, following months of drought that raised fears for the country's vital agricultural sector. Authorities said Monday that at least 20 people 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, where the defence ministry said military helicopters evacuated dozens of stranded villagers. Related Articles Afghanistan avalanches death toll has climbed to 28, with many hundreds ... TODAYonline - 13 hours ago Afghan avalanches trap hundreds UN Observer - 1 hour ago Official: 5 dead in Afghan avalanche in Salang pass north of Kabul TODAYonline - 18 hours ago