Avalanches in Kashmir and Afghanistan claim 126 lives

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In avalanches in the Pakistani part of Kashmir and neighboring Afghanistan, 126 people have died since Sunday, officials announced today.

In the last 24 hours alone, 55 people died in the Pakistani part of Kashmir, said the spokesperson for the Pakistani emergency services, Wasim Uddin.

As he stated, 41 people died in a single avalanche in the Neelum Valley, world media report.

Local authorities in Kashmir have declared a state of emergency in the affected areas, stating that rescuers are facing major problems trying to reach the endangered villages.

Residents are being evacuated by military helicopters, and authorities are trying to reopen highways to reach people cut off by heavy snowfall in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Snowfall has also hit Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan, where 20 people died, and another 12 perished in the neighboring province of Punjab.

In Afghanistan, another 15 people died overnight.

Around 300 houses were damaged due to snow, floods, and landslides.