At least 52 people died Tuesday in a large landslide in northeastern Afghanistan, according to a provincial official.
The landslide cut off parts of Badakhshan province from the rest of the country, covering the entire area in snow, according to provincial governor Waliullah Adeeb. Because the area is only accessible from the air, rescue efforts have been severely hampered.
Landslides are frequent in Badakhshan during this time of year, as the snow melts and the ground becomes unstable. It's one of the poorest and least-developed regions of Afghanistan.
Tuesday's landslide struck early in the morning in the province's Khawahan district, near Afghanistan's border with Tajikistan. The isolated area is located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the provincial capital, Faizabad.
There are no roads leading to it and "the only way to reach it is by helicopter," Adeeb said. "We won't be able to get there today. We are preparing to go to the area and are waiting for the choppers to take us there."
The deputy head of Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority, Mohammad Islam Sayas, said initial reports suggest the avalanche struck only one village but it was likely to have been completely wiped out.
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