KABUL, Afghanistan: Snowfall, heavy rain and storms have killed at least 61 people across Afghanistan in the past three days, authorities said on Saturday, as extreme winter weather cut off major roads and damaged hundreds of homes.
The deaths occurred between Wednesday and Friday, mainly in central and northern provinces, according to Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA).
The disaster management authority released a map detailing the affected areas.
ANDMA said the initial figures also include 110 people injured and 458 houses either partially or completely destroyed. A total of 360 families have been affected.
In a video message, an ANDMA spokesman urged people to avoid unnecessary travel on snow-covered roads.
Initial Figures of Casualties and Destruction caused by Snowfall and Rain in the last Three Days!#آمادگی_پاسخ_بازسازی#چمتووالی_ځواب_وینه__بیارغونه#AfghanistanNDMA pic.twitter.com/dvTxbVUyDu
— ANDMA – له پېښو سره د مبارزې آمادګۍ ملي اداره (@AfghanistanNDMA) January 24, 2026
Major highways closed
Heavy snowfall forced the closure of the Salang highway, one of Afghanistan’s most important transport routes linking Kabul with the northern provinces. The provincial authority in Parwan confirmed the closure.
Food supplies were distributed to travellers stranded on a mountain pass in the central Bamyan province, officials said.
Afghanistan International, quoting officials, reported that snow depth in North Salang exceeded four metres, while South Salang recorded nearly three metres of snow. Ongoing storms have hampered snow-clearing operations.
Several regional roads have also been closed, including routes linking Bamyan to Yakaolang and Panjab, as well as roads connecting Parwan and Ghor provinces.
In Daikundi province, multiple routes — including Khadir, Qonaq, Kumi and Shahristan–Miramor — were shut.
Roads in several districts of Ghazni, including Nawur, Ajristan, Malistan and Jaghori, were also reported impassable.
Taliban officials said roads connecting Khost and Paktia provinces were closed due to severe weather.
Storms, avalanches and landslides
Earlier in the week, severe storms and rain-triggered landslides killed at least 14 people, officials said on Friday.
Strong winds and heavy rain in Kandahar province killed six children on Wednesday, damaging homes and causing significant financial losses in several districts, the provincial emergency department said.
An avalanche killed one person in Parwan province, west of Kabul, officials added.
A spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority said that 11 people were killed across six provinces due to snow and rain, including the Kandahar and Parwan incidents.
In eastern Nuristan province, a landslide triggered by heavy rain struck a house in Quraish village on Wednesday, killing three members of the same family and injuring two others.
“Two 10-year-old girls and a teenage boy were killed,” Nuristan provincial government spokesman Fraidoon Samim said.
Heavy snowfall disrupts daily life
In central Ghazni province, around 80 centimetres of snow fell within 24 hours, forcing market closures and blocking roads, a local correspondent said.
Heavy snow in Kabul and other provinces has also led to traffic accidents, officials reported.
Images published from Maidan Wardak province showed thick snowfall, while snow continued to fall in Herat, according to officials.
Afghanistan frequently experiences deadly floods, landslides and storms, particularly in remote areas with fragile infrastructure, leaving communities highly vulnerable to extreme weather.
The Ministry of Public Works has urged travellers to check road conditions before setting out and to carry essential supplies, including warm clothing, food, fuel and tyre chains, when travelling on snow-covered routes.
