25 killed in Afghanistan landslide caused by snow: disaster ministry

KABUL (AFP) - A landslide caused by heavy snowfall has killed 25 people and injured eight others in the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan, a disaster management ministry spokesman said Monday, raising an earlier toll.

"As a result of the landslide, some 25 people have been killed and eight injured," Janan Sayeq said in a video clip shared with media, adding to AFP that the death toll could rise.

The avalanche swept through the village of Nakre in the Tatin valley of Nuristan overnight on Sunday, blanketing homes in snow and rubble.

Around 20 houses were destroyed or heavily damaged. "Due to clouds and rain, the helicopter cannot land in Nuristan," said Maulvi Mohammad Nabi Adel, the head of public works in the province, adding that snow had blocked one of the main roads into the province, making "the rescue operation difficult," he added, 

Nuristan province, which borders Pakistan, is mostly covered by mountainous forests and hugs the southern end of the Hindu Kush mountain range. This year, the arrival of snow was delayed across much of Afghanistan, which is accustomed to harsh winters.

The exceptionally low level of rain in a country that relies heavily on agriculture has forced many farmers to delay planting. Afghanistan is one of the world's poorest countries, wracked by decades of war, prone to natural disasters and vulnerable to extreme weather events linked to climate change.

Once flush with humanitarian aid following the US-led invasion of the country, funding to Afghanistan has plummeted since the Taliban returned to power in mid-2021, in part over the many restrictions it imposed on women.