Extreme weather conditions at the end of January led to large-scale destruction and casualties in the high-altitude regions of Central Asia. Powerful snowstorms blocked key transport arteries, trapping thousands of people in snow and isolating entire settlements from the outside world. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
In the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northwestern Pakistan, a powerful avalanche covered a residential building, claiming the lives of nine members of one family, including four women. At the same time, a critical situation developed around the mountain station of Murree near Islamabad, where the first heavy snowfall of the season blocked hundreds of cars with tourists.
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Authorities have introduced emergency measures, trying to avoid a repeat of the 2022 tragedy, when dozens of people died from hypothermia in traffic jams, but many travelers ignore entry bans, creating an additional burden on rescue services.
Consequences of the ice storm in Afghanistan
Neighboring Afghanistan is also suffering from abnormal precipitation: according to the local disaster management agency, freezing rain and snow have led to the death of 11 people in six provinces of the country. The difficult terrain and the lack of modern equipment complicate access to remote villages, which have been completely cut off from food and medicine supplies. Forecasters warn of a further drop in temperature, which poses a critical threat to thousands of people who are in temporary shelters or blocked on snow-covered passes.