Afghanistan: At least 19 people were killed by an avalanche on the border

At least 19 people were killed today in an avalanche as they tried to cross a mountain range between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a local Taliban official said.

Many groups of people were trying to cross the border when the avalanche began, Najibullah Hassan Abdal, director of information and culture for Kunar province (eastern Afghanistan), told AFP.

"Nineteen bodies have been found so far" and rescuers are currently searching for other victims and possible survivors, he added.

Many Afghans try to cross the mountainous border with Pakistan on a daily basis in search of work, basic necessities or trade.

The number of transit efforts has risen sharply since the country sank into a humanitarian crisis following the return of the Taliban in August.

Public funds are almost empty after the cessation of international aid, which accounted for about 75% of the national budget, and the freezing of billions of Afghan assets abroad. Unemployment has skyrocketed and many civil servants have not been paid for months.

Pakistan is completing the construction of a fence to protect its 2.670-kilometer porous border with Afghanistan, along the Duran Line, drawn by the former British colonial administration.

Traders and traffickers have been using mountain paths between the two countries for centuries to cross from one to the other without paying taxes. This despite the dangers in this area, where avalanches are common.

In 2015, at least 250 people were killed in a series of deadly avalanches in Afghanistan.

Source: RES-EAP