Avalanches in Northern Pakistan by Nina Ridge
A series of avalanches have crashed through mud-brick homes of villages in northern Pakistan over the last few days killing dozens of people. Many people still haven’t been accounted for, potentially bringing the death toll to more than 40.
Avalanches struck on both Saturday and Sunday in the Chitral region of the Hindu Kush mountains burying homes in small isolated villages, and a third avalanche crashed down in the area early on Monday morning whilst people were sleeping.
The avalanches are a result of continuous heavy rain falling over the Kush Mountains which were covered in deep snow. As much as 1.83 metres (6 feet) of snow has fallen over the past several days, and heavy rains have also caused landslides in the vicinity, adding to the problems.
Rescue efforts have been hampered due to the remoteness of the affected villages, and the lack of heavy machinery. The authorities have also faced difficulties with the rescue operation due to the continuing adverse weather that has blocked roads from landslides.
Rescue operations are continuing in a huge effort to reach the people affected, despite the weather in the region remaining unsettled with further falls of snow over the mountains.
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