____________________________________________________________________________________________
Afghan avalanches kill at least 28, strand 1,500
Staff and agenciesBy RAHIM FAIEZ, Associated Press Writer Rahim Faiez, Associated Press Writer – 7 mins ago
Another 70 people were injured and transported to hospitals as the military and police continued rescue efforts to dig out those trapped in the snow, an Afghan Defense Ministry statement said.
In a statement, President Hamid Karzai ordered the ministries of public works, defense and disaster control to "use all possible means to get the roads unblocked and rescue those trapped and stranded in the heavy snow."
About 100 Afghan soldiers were mobilized to join police and others in the rescue efforts, along with four helicopters, several ambulances and several bulldozers, Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said.
Rescuers worked through the night to save more than 200 people, said Gen. Abdul Rahman Sayedkhail, Parwan provincial police chief.
Military helicopters were dropping food packages to people stuck on snow-blocked roads, Interior Ministry spokesman Zemerai Bashary said.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved.