GPS News
WHITE OUT
Snow, heavy rain kill 61 in three days in Afghanistan

Snow, heavy rain kill 61 in three days in Afghanistan

By Aysha SAFI
Kabul (AFP) Jan 24, 2026

Snow and heavy rain have killed 61 people in Afghanistan in the past three days, disaster officials said on Saturday, with a major road and power also cut in several provinces.

The deaths occurred mainly in central and northern provinces between Wednesday and Friday, according to a map released by Afghanistan's disaster management authority (ANDMA).

The "initial figures of casualties and destruction" also include 110 injured people and 458 houses that were either partially or fully destroyed, ANDMA said on social media platform X.

A total of 360 families were affected, said a spokesman who asked people in a video message to avoid unnecessary travel on snowy roads.

The spokesman also told AFP that most of the casualties were caused by roof collapses and avalanches, while many also died from frostbite in sub-zero temperatures.

The emergency department in the southern province of Kandahar said six children were killed when the roof of their home collapsed in strong wind and heavy rain on Wednesday.

Houses were also damaged in other districts.

- Major highway cut -

The Salang highway, one of Afghanistan's main roads, has been closed, authorities in Parwan province north of Kabul said. The highway is a vital connection to Afghanistan's northern provinces.

Food supplies were also distributed to travellers stuck on a mountain pass in central Bamyan province, west of the capital.

A transmission line importing electricity from Uzbekistan was also damaged on Thursday, leaving households in almost 12 provinces without power.

"The technical teams are ready but cannot reach the area because of the blockage of Salang pass," said Mohammad Sadiq, the spokesman for Afghanistan's national power utility DABS.

The heavy snow and rain also destroyed shops and killed livestock in different parts of the predominantly rural country.

"Snow and rain, when managed properly, contribute positively to Afghanistan's environment and livelihoods," the Kabul Times daily wrote in an editorial.

"However, without sufficient preparation and timely intervention, these natural phenomena can quickly turn into sources of tragedy," it said.

Around half of Afghanistan's population of more than 40 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations, after a sharp drop in foreign assistance in recent years.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes and drought also often compound the daily struggle to survive.

Related Links
It's A White Out at TerraDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WHITE OUT
Simulations link ice surface water film to changing snow crystal shapes
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 21, 2026
The ice cubes in a kitchen freezer differ greatly from the single ice crystals forming in snow clouds or on frozen lakes, where temperature changes drive a striking progression of crystal shapes from thick hexagonal prisms to thin plates and columnar forms as conditions vary. A new theoretical and computational study links this structural evolution to subtle changes in a microscopic liquid-like layer that can form on the surface of ice. For more than a century, scientists have debated whether a th ... read more

WHITE OUT
Warming trend to intensify crop droughts across Europe and beyond

How the EU and Mercosur agro-powerhouse Brazil differ on pesticides

Ticking time bomb: Some farmers report as many as 70 tick encounters over a 6-month period

Black carbon from straw burning limits antibiotic resistance in plastic mulched fields

WHITE OUT
Light driven charging turns gold nanorods into nanocapacitors

An earthquake on a chip: New tech could make smartphones smaller, faster

US strikes deal with Taiwan to cut tariffs, boost chip investment

Stretchable OLED design sets efficiency record at 17 percent EQE

WHITE OUT
AI search tool helps design next generation hydrogen jet engine

US air authority warns of 'military activities' over Mexico, Central America

Taiwan locates black box for F-16 jet

Hydrogen planes 'more for the 22nd century': France's Safran

WHITE OUT
German brings back electric car subsidies to boost market

Electric vehicles could catch on in Africa sooner than expected

EU offers China alternative to tariffs in electric cars dispute

GM announces $7.1 bn hit to profits on electric auto pullback

WHITE OUT
EU wants to keep Chinese suppliers out of critical infrastructure

Europe and India seek closer ties with 'mother of all deals'

US to slap full tariffs on Canada if it seals China trade deal: Treasury secretary

China vows to boost flagging demand in new 2030 economic plan

WHITE OUT
Protected forests under threat in DRC's lucrative mining belt

Protected forests under threat in DRC's lucrative mining belt

Clearing small areas of rainforest has outsized climate impact: study

Climate-driven tree deaths speeding up in Australia

WHITE OUT
Spire weather data to power AiDASH vegetation and outage risk tools

Cleaner ship fuel is reducing lightning in key shipping lanes, research finds

Sentinel 2A trials reveal unexpected night sensing capability

Europe approves EPS Sterna polar microsatellite network

WHITE OUT
Bright emission from hidden quantum states demonstrated in nanotechnology breakthrough

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.