KABUL: A landslide in the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan caused by intense snowfall has left 25 people dead and eight others injured, according to a spokesman for the disaster management ministry on Monday.
Overnight on Sunday, debris, snow, and earth poured into the settlement of Nakre in Nuristan’s Tatin valley.
A representative named Janan Sayeq told the media in a video clip that was provided with them, “about 25 people have been dead and eight injured as a consequence of the landslide.”
The officer went on to say that there might be more deaths.
The province of Nuristan, which shares a border with Pakistan, hugs the southern edge of the Hindu Kush mountain range and is primarily covered with forested mountains.
Snow has also complicated rescue attempts, according to provincial officials.
“The helicopter is unable to land in Nuristan because of clouds and rain,” stated the province’s chief of public works, Muhammad Nabi Adel.—AFP
One of the primary routes into the province was blocked by snow, according to Adel, making “the rescue operation difficult.”
Jamiullah Hashimi, the head of information and culture for the province, estimated that about twenty residences had been severely damaged or destroyed.
He stated that snow was still falling while rescuers attempted to extricate victims from the debris, adding that in addition to bad weather, a shortage of supplies in the isolated location was impeding their efforts. He clarified, “Modern facilities, tools, and equipment are not accessible for the rescue operation.”
Shovels, axes, and various other hand tools were used by rescuers to sift through the debris and ground to find the dead.
To provide space for the rescuers, large stones that had also fallen in the landslide had to be demolished using explosives.
Afghanistan is among the poorest nations on earth; it has endured decades of conflict, is prone to natural disasters, and is susceptible to extreme weather brought on by climate change.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
