At least 14 people killed by gold mine avalanche (photos)

Farid Nekfar, head of emergency services in Badakhshan province, said efforts were under way to recover at least two bodies after the killer avalanche struck on Thursday afternoon.

“We are in contact with locals and emergency groups. So far 12 bodies of victims have been recovered from below the avalanche mass. “Unfortunately, the area is under the control of the militants,” Nekfar told AFP.

Nek Mohammad Nazari, spokesman for the governor of Badakhshan, said the death toll was 15.

Abdul Rahman, a resident of a neighboring area, said two members of his family working in the mine had been killed, adding that the death toll could be higher.

Disasters such as avalanches and floods have hit the mountainous areas of Afghanistan several times during the snowmelt period, in spring and summer. Deforestation in the region has made it more exposed to disasters.

More than 50 percent of Afghanistan’s territory is believed to be under the direct control or influence of Taliban leaders.

At least 14 people have been killed when an avalanche hit a gold mine in northern Afghanistan