52 feared dead in Afghan landslide

At least 25 women and 22 children are among those missing in the landslide

KABUL: At least 52 people, mostly women and children, are feared dead after a landslide swept through a remote village in the mountainous northwest of Afghanistan on Tuesday. This is the latest natural disaster to be faced by Afghanistan and has reportedly buried dozens of houses in Badakhshan province, officials said. At least 25 women and 22 children were among those missing in the landslide in Jaryo Bala village, said deputy provincial governor Gul Mohammad Beidar.

The disaster comes nearly a year after another landslide triggered by heavy rains killed at least 300 people in the isolated region. The calamity has highlighted the challenges facing the underdeveloped nation as it battles a resilient Taliban insurgency in what is expected to be the bloodiest spring-summer fighting season for a decade.

“We have asked Kabul for help and they have said they are sending two helicopters to assist with the rescue operations,” Beidar told AFP.

“This is a remote area on the border with Tajikistan and the road to this district remains closed for six months of the year,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2015.