An avalanche buried a roadside hotel and nearby shops along Afghanistan’s Salang Pass on Thursday evening, killing two people and injuring 12 others, officials said Friday.
The Ministry of Public Works said the slide hit the Do Shakh area of Salang district in Baghlan province, a mountainous stretch that links Kabul with northern Afghanistan.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, the ministry’s spokesperson, wrote on X that rescue crews later recovered the body of a person initially reported missing. “Unfortunately, two of our fellow citizens lost their lives in this incident, including one person who had initially been reported missing. The body of the missing person was recovered today through the efforts of the operational rescue and search teams of the Salang Protection and Monitoring Directorate. Twelve others were also injured,” he said.
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Heavy snowfall over recent days forced authorities to close the high-altitude pass to traffic on Wednesday and Thursday. The avalanche struck a hotel located along the main highway in Khinjan district, where one person died at the scene and several others were pulled from the debris, some in critical condition.
According to local officials, rescue teams also assisted dozens of stranded travelers caught in snowstorms in the area. About 60 people were moved to a nearby hotel for shelter as conditions worsened.
Separately, Hafiz Mohammad Yusuf Hammad, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, said earlier Thursday that at least 11 people across the country had died due to severe winter weather, including snowfall, rain, and freezing temperatures.
Haqshenas urged residents to avoid traveling on mountain roads during snowstorms and extreme weather. He advised those who must travel to confirm that roads are open and safe before setting out.