Heavy snow storms and avalanches have claimed the lives of 28 people in 12 provinces in the past two days and have closed roads in 12 provinces, the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said on Saturday.

According to ANDMA, over 40 people have so far died in avalanches and heavy snowfalls across the country in the past two weeks.

ANDMA said all provinces have witnessed snow and rain and in addition to those who died, a further 43 people have been injured in avalanches and snowfall so far this winter.

Many roads in Faryab, Jawzjan, Sar-e-Pul, Badakhshan, Ghor, Ghazni, Panjshir, Maidan Wardak, Bamiyan, Daikundi, Zabul and Baghlan provinces have been closed due to heavy snow storms in the past two days, ANDMA said.

“Roads have been closed in 12 provinces, but the problem has been solved in other provinces. The roads will reopen once the weather improves,” the ANDMA deputy head Mohammad Aslam Siyas said.

Meanwhile, Husain Sharifi Balkhabi, an MP from Sar-e-Pul, blamed government of not paying enough attention to rescuing people trapped in avalanches in the province.

“Lack of capacity and coordination as well as their late response to the incidents has raised people’s concerns and complaints,” Balkhabi said.

The Public Works Ministry spokesman Mahdi Rouhani meanwhile said the reasons for delays in reopening key roads and highways was that heavy snow storms continued.

“The closure of roads does not mean that we don’t have plans; we already have plans. The roads will be reopened once the snow storms subside,” he said.