Feb. 5 (UPI) — At least 14 people were killed in an avalanche that buried several houses in the village of Sher Shall, part of the town of Chintral, located in the Hindu Kush mountains in northwestern Pakistan.
According to CNN, six women, six children and two men were among the dead. Officials fear more people are trapped beneath the thick wall of snow.
The Pakistani state media said rescue personnel are doing their best to search for bodies and deliver recovery supplies, like blankets, stoves and food. Inclement winter weather has made search and rescue efforts difficult. Many of the local roads are blocked by snow and ice.
Heavy snow in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan has triggered several avalanches in the region. Dozens were killed by avalanches in the northeastern provinces surrounding Kabul over the last three days.
Police and soldiers rescued drivers and passengers from more than 250 vehicles stranded on one of Afghanistan’s major highways, Kabul-Kandahar Highway, over the weekend.
Officials have warned that more snow storms — and likely more avalanches — are on the way.
