KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – An avalanche struck a roadside hotel and nearby shops along the Salang Pass in northern Afghanistan on Thursday evening, killing two people and injuring 12 others, Taliban authorities said.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Public Works, said in a statement on Friday that the incident occurred in the Do Shakh area of Salang district in Baghlan province, a key mountainous route linking Kabul with northern Afghanistan.
He added that the body of one of the deceased was initially missing, but rescue teams recovered it from under the snow on Friday. Six of the injured sustained serious injuries, while the other six suffered minor wounds.
Heavy snowfall has struck large parts of Afghanistan, including Kabul and the central and northern regions, in recent days, causing landslides, road closures, and multiple fatalities.
The Taliban-run National Disaster Management Authority reported earlier that severe winter weather, including snow, rain, and freezing temperatures, has killed at least 11 people across the country this week. According to the department, rescue teams have saved about 60 other travelers from snowstorms and moved them to a nearby hotel.
Afghanistan’s rugged terrain, combined with decades of conflict and limited infrastructure, makes the country highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Extreme weather events, including heavy snow, avalanche, landslides, and floods frequently threaten communities, particularly in remote central and northern regions.
