NEILI (PAN): The death toll from snow avalanches has reached 19 in central Daikundi province, where roads connecting the provincial capital with district centres and the capital Kabul remained closed, officials said on Thursday.

Five people buried in snow died after a fresh avalanche hit the Khadir district, the town’s administrative head, Abdul Qadir Haidari, told Pajhwok Afghan News. Another two people were found dead and three were rescued by residents.

A clinic owner in the district, Dr. Sikandar Zarai, confirmed residents had rescued three people buried under snow.

Police chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Razzaq said 19 people had so far been killed by snow avalanches in the province -- seven in Khadir, six in Sang Takht, five in Miramor and one in Ashtarali.  

The Khadir administrative head said more than one metre of snow had been recorded in the district, with avalanches destroying five houses and over 5,000 trees.

Provincial natural disaster management authority head, Reza Siddiqui, said all roads connecting districts with the provincial capital and Kabul had been closed over the past four days.  

He added a snow-clearing operation was ongoing in the Qonaq area, which has been cut off from the rest of the province over the past four days.

Up to 124 people have died due to snow avalanches across the country, the Afghanistan Natural Disasters Management Authority (ANDMA) says.

mm/ma/mud