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Afghan tunnel avalanches kill 28 Afghan avalanche toll exceeds 165
(about 19 hours later)
A series of avalanches around a mountain tunnel in Afghanistan has killed at least 28 people and left hundreds more stranded, officials say. Rescuers are continuing to dig through snow in Afghanistan to reach hundreds of people trapped in their vehicles by avalanches in the Salang Pass.
Some 70 people have been injured, and officials fear the number of casualties could rise further. Government officials said at least 165 bodies had been recovered from the mountain pass north of Kabul.
The avalanches - following several days of heavy snow - hit the area around the Salang Tunnel, high in the Hindu Kush. Some 2,500 people have been rescued so far, but scores more are feared buried following several days of heavy snow.
Meanwhile, an Indian soldier was killed and 13 others rescued after a second avalanche in two days in Kashmir. More than two dozen avalanches have hit the pass since Monday, blocking 2.1 miles (3.5km) of road.
The snow struck an army post in Indian-administered Kashmir along the Line of Control adjoining Pakistani-administered Kashmir, officials say. 'Frozen bodies'
At least 17 Indian soldiers were killed on Monday after an avalanche hit a military training camp in Indian-administered Kashmir, the army said. The total number of casualties remains unclear.
'Dangerous' Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary told the AP news agency that rescuers had recovered 166 bodies from the road, which connects the Afghan capital with the north, over the past two days.
Afghan officials say some of the victims froze to death in cars or were overcome by exhaust fumes in the Salang Tunnel. Acting health minister Suraya Dalil said hospitals had taken in the bodies of 165 people killed in the avalanches.
The tunnel is the main route from the Afghan capital, Kabul, to the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Officials said crews were working to clear the route near the Salang Tunnel for ambulances, bulldozers and other road-clearing equipment.
Relief teams are still trying to clear the route near the tunnel, they added. class="" href="/2/hi/south_asia/8507815.stm">Salang Tunnel - Afghanistan's dangerous lifeline
Officials say that a blizzard struck the busy road on Monday, leading to an avalanche that buried people in their vehicles. "There are many other cars swept away," Gen Mohammad Rajab, the head of the Kabul-Salang highway, told Reuters news agency.
Afghan Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar fended off questions as to why the road was open in the first place, insisting the situation had appeared manageable until the storm unexpectedly struck. "The death toll may rise as we dig out dozens of other frozen bodies."
"All of a sudden, a storm hit the area which resulted in a number of avalanches hitting the main highway and closing the road for up to 3.5km (two miles)," he said. The area is often affected by heavy snow and has been hit by avalanches in the past, the BBC's Martin Patience says from Kabul.
Acting Public Works Minister Suhrab Ali Safari told the Associated Press that rescuers are working from the north and south to clear the road. On Tuesday, Afghan Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar fended off questions as to why the road had been open in the first place, insisting the situation had appeared manageable until snowstorms unexpectedly struck.
Mr Safari said that soldiers, police and local people were all helping in the rescue effort. Meanwhile, an Indian soldier was killed but 13 others were rescued after a second avalanche in two days in Kashmir.
"Everybody is trying to rescue the people who are stuck in the avalanche. But while we're clearing one part of the road, the storm covers another part of the road again. It's very difficult," he said. The snow struck an army post on Tuesday in Indian-administered Kashmir, along the Line of Control adjoining Pakistani-administered Kashmir, officials said.
The defence ministry said that around 1,500 people stranded by the avalanches since Monday afternoon had already been rescued. At least 17 Indian soldiers were killed on Monday when an avalanche hit a military training camp in Indian-administered Kashmir, the army said.