2010 Salang avalanches

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
2010 Salang avalanches
File:Salang tunnel entrance.jpg
Entrance of the Salang tunnel
Date February 9, 2010 (2010-02-09)
Location Salang, Afghanistan
Deaths 172

The 2010 Salang avalanches consisted of a series of at least 36 avalanches[1] that struck the southern approach to the Salang tunnel, north of Kabul.[2][3][4] They were caused by a freak storm in the Hindu Kush mountains.[3][4][5][6]

Leading up to the disaster

On February 7, 10 people were killed in Kandahar Province, according to the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS). Najibullah Barith, ARCS's director in Kandahar complained about the lack of local and national resources.[7]

11 people were killed by avalanches in Farah, Bamyan, Ghor, and Daykundi provinces between February 4 and February 8, a spokesman of the Afghanistan National Disasters Management Authority said.[7] The Afghan flash floods and avalanches left 20 others dead in the rest of the country on February 8.[7] The provincial authorities had summoned an emergency meeting and Loya Jurga to discuss responses on February 8. Shah Wali Kot and Shorandam districts were the worst affected. Afghanistan generally expects about 400,000 people every year, according to experts at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).[7]

Avalanches

Mountain passes of Afghanistan

Heavy wind and rain in the area just before the incident caused up to 17 avalanches that buried at least 3.5 km (2.2 mi) of roadway in the Salang Tunnel trapping thousands of people in their vehicles who were travelling in the tunnel, and cutting off one of the major travel links to Northern Afghanistan. Official reports soon after the avalanche report up to 64 people were feared dead and that more could die. Afghanistan's interior minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar believed that there could be at least 2,500 people trapped in their vehicles.[8] Many vehicles were pushed down the mountains, and hundreds of cars were buried in snow.[5] Among the survivors many injuries were reported.[9]

The avalanches were caused by a sudden blizzard that struck the area, closing the tunnel and the roads around it on both sides of the tunnel.[10] The tunnel was reopened on February 12, 2010.[11]

Annually about 250 avalanches strike the road, and the total loss of life during the 2008/9 season was about 40 people.[12]

Rescue

The Afghan National Army was forming the main backbone of the recovery effort with at least 500 troops sent to the area as well as 2 helicopters and several bulldozers. NATO International Security Assistance Force forces also gave their support providing four Chinook helicopters, as well as using helicopters to drop food and medical supplies to those trapped in their vehicles.[5][13] The injured had been taken to Charikar Hospital in Parwan Province, and the more seriously injured had been taken to Bagram air base where they received more advanced medical treatment from coalition doctors.[14][14]

Beside the direct injuries from the avalanche, there was also the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning inside the poorly ventilated tunnel, while the traffic was stalled for a long time.[12] By February 10, about 2,500 people had been rescued, but it was feared that more people were still buried in their snow-trapped vehicles.[10]

Criticism

Institutional authorities including the National Meteorology Authority (NMA) came under criticism for allowing the disaster to unfold.[15] Although heavy snowfall had been forecast in the Salang area and structural walls had been weakened in previous avalanches, the pass was not closed and no preparations had been put in place. Officials point out that Afghanistan lacks the resources and infrastructure for the prevention and management of natural disasters and relies to some degree upon help by the UN and international forces.[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kabul fears avalanche toll could rise
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "RadioFreeEurope2010-02-10" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Officials: Afghan avalanches kill 157 people
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Avalanches Kill Dozens on Mountain Highway in Afghanistan
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ "Afghan Forces Lead Rescue Efforts"
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Officials: Afghan avalanches may have killed over 60
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=2010_Salang_avalanches&oldid=4178826"