Villagers search for Afghan avalanche survivors

At least six people were killed and seven others injured due to two separate avalanches in Badakhshan province, northeast Afghanistan.
The district administrative chief Nauroz Mohammad Haidari told media on Monday that the incidents took place at Kalafzar and Dara-e-Ghazni localities of Yamgan district. He said that the avalanche had destroyed around 20 homes, adding that people who suffered casualties were mostly shepherds. Confirming the casualties, the governor's spokesman Ahmad Naved Frotan said that roads leading to Yamgan district had been blocked due to heavy snowfall. Ministry of Interior (MoI) had been asked to provide two helicopters for the delivery of food aid to the marooned residents due to presence of rebels in the area, he added.