Non-fatal injuries 129+ Total number of deaths 310 | Dates 24 Feb 2015 – 28 Feb 2015 Location Panjshir Province | |
 | ||
On February 24–28, 2015, a total of 40 avalanches in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan killed at least 310 people, and another 129 were wounded. 1,000 Afghani troops were deployed to Panjshir Province to assist rescue efforts. According to the acting governor of Panjshir, Abdul Rahman Kabiri, these avalanches were the worst Afghanistan had seen in three decades.
Cause
The avalanches were caused by heavy snowstorms in the area. Heavy snowfall is a common cause of avalanches. Snow builds up as snowfall continues and it eventually reaches a point at which the weight of the snowfall overcomes the cohesion of the snow, resulting in an avalanche. Rising temperatures may have also had an effect, due to the fact that temperature rise can affect the cohesion of snow. These snowstorms have also hampered rescue efforts, with some areas receiving nearly a meter of snow.