At least 26 dead after heavy snowfall in Afghanistan

At least 26 people have died in Afghanistan due to heavy snow and rain that swept across large parts of the country over the past two days, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday.
NDMA spokesman Janan Sayeq said over a hundred houses were damaged or destroyed by extreme weather in 12 provinces.
Rescue teams from the defence ministry and aid organizations were dispatched to the worst-hit area in the eastern province of Nuristan.
An avalanche struck a mountain village in Nurgram district overnight on Monday. Sixteen bodies have been recovered so far, a local official told dpa. He added that teams were trying to rescue those still trapped under the snow and rubble.
At least five miners were missing in the neighbouring province of Panjshir on Monday after an avalanche.
The Salang Pass that connects Afghanistan's northern provinces with the capital Kabul remained blocked due to the snow.
Afghanistan is reeling from the after-effects of decades of conflict and one natural disaster after another. Seasonal flooding and avalanches frequently occur across the country, damaging homes, agricultural land and public infrastructure.