KABUL, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Heavy snowfall has severed vital transport links across Afghanistan, blocking multiple strategic highways, including the crucial Salang Pass, the primary route connecting the national capital Kabul to nine northern provinces, officials reported Thursday.
The Salang highway, a major artery for both people and goods, has been rendered impassable due to severe blizzard conditions, high winds, and dense, dust-laden fog since Friday morning, according to Mohammad Ashraf Haqshinas, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works.
Snow accumulation has reached extreme levels, with depths ranging from 2 to 4.6 meters in various sections of the highway, Haqshinas stated, highlighting the severity of the blockage.
In a parallel disruption, authorities have temporarily closed the key Kabul-Kandahar highway to all traffic in areas of Ghazni province as a precautionary measure against accidents and potential casualties.
Hamidullah Nisar, provincial director of information and culture for Ghazni, confirmed the closure on social media, citing heavy snowfall in the region.
The widespread weather event has affected 33 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces since Wednesday morning, plunging temperatures to approximately minus 15 degrees Celsius in some areas and significantly disrupting travel and commerce nationwide. ■