313:
301:
337:
349:
325:
130:
361:
700:
888:
43:
137:
229:, which runs underneath it at a height of about 3,400 m. The tunnel was built by engineers and construction crews from the Soviet Union in 1958 – 1964 as part of a wide-ranging infrastructure build out in Afghanistan carried out by the USSR. During the Afghan civil war it was blown up in 1997 by forces of
529:
By the evening of
February 10, authorities had recovered the bodies of more than 160 victims buried by a series of avalanches. The stories told to RFE/RL by survivors suggest the death toll could rise as search teams continue their work -- and when the spring thaw reveals the full extent of the
530:
tragedy. The first avalanche blocked the highway just south of the Salang Tunnel. As the traffic began to pile up, travelers in cars, trucks, and buses found themselves trapped in a deadly avalanche zone. Then, one after another, as many as 16 more avalanches wiped their vehicles off the road.
470:
Heavy winds and rain set off 17 avalanches that buried more than two miles of highway at a high-altitude pass in the Hindu Kush mountain range, entombing hundreds of cars and cutting off Kabul's heavily traveled link to northern
Afghanistan, officials said
281:. According to press reports the road through the pass was hit by 17 avalanches, killing dozens, burying miles of highway, and trapping the vehicles in the Salang tunnel. By February 10, 2010, authorities had recovered over 160 bodies.
312:
501:
A series of avalanches engulfed a mountain pass in
Afghanistan, trapping hundreds of people in their buried cars and killing at least 24 people, authorities said Tuesday.
210:, and both of them were of great importance in early times as they provided the most direct connections between the Kabul region with northern Afghanistan or
92:
546:
514:
579:
792:
348:
234:
1030:
1035:
484:
1045:
1040:
129:
256:
in the North. Before the road and tunnel were built, the main route between Kabul and northern
Afghanistan was via the
324:
300:
336:
518:
360:
572:
785:
263:
The road through the pass has carried heavy military traffic in recent conflicts and is in very bad repair.
85:
1004:
988:
20:
485:"Avalanches swamp Afghan pass: Scores of bodies pulled from cars as coalition joins search for injured"
565:
824:
778:
664:
649:
611:
689:
634:
624:
453:
403:
669:
654:
272:
237:(RMES) organized the work to rebuild the tunnel and the repairs were completed within a month.
917:
877:
847:
684:
8:
862:
679:
439:
53:
867:
852:
639:
230:
195:
1009:
958:
872:
842:
837:
377:
282:
968:
943:
749:
659:
619:
588:
203:
953:
857:
832:
801:
674:
199:
183:
156:
948:
644:
629:
458:
249:
187:
73:
1024:
226:
175:
164:
107:
94:
27:
978:
811:
739:
598:
489:
397:
382:
285:
reported the first avalanche blocked the tunnel, and trapped vehicles in a
215:
427:
983:
963:
927:
744:
734:
699:
603:
392:
387:
286:
257:
233:
in order to prevent
Taliban fighters from coming through it. In 2002 the
211:
207:
179:
66:
887:
719:
222:
78:
759:
724:
278:
191:
42:
816:
729:
557:
241:
770:
922:
714:
912:
907:
253:
902:
245:
512:
454:"Avalanches Kill Dozens on Mountain Highway in Afghanistan"
506:
515:"From Afghan Avalanche, Tales Of Tragedy And Survival"
174:, el. 3,878 m or 12,723 ft) is the primary
318:The Salang Pass with heavy snow on 30 January 2009
277:On February 9, 2010, the pass was hit by multiple
1022:
476:
445:
428:Library of Congress Country Study: Afghanistan
786:
573:
260:, a much longer route which took three days.
513:Ahmed Hanayesh, Ron Synovitz (2010-02-10).
482:
451:
266:
793:
779:
580:
566:
354:Map showing mountain passes of Afghanistan
225:mountains but is now bypassed through the
235:Russian Ministry Of Emergency Situations
1023:
774:
561:
433:
423:
421:
419:
587:
168:
16:Mountain pass in eastern Afghanistan
800:
218:originates nearby and flows south.
190:, southern Afghanistan, and to the
160:
136:
13:
416:
14:
1057:
539:
886:
698:
359:
347:
335:
323:
311:
299:
206:, it is just to the East of the
135:
128:
47:Salang tunnel view from the side
41:
519:Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
1031:Mountain passes of Afghanistan
366:Entrance to Salang pass tunnel
289:in a "deadly avalanche zone".
1:
1036:Landforms of Baghlan Province
409:
186:, with onward connections to
1046:Landforms of Parwan Province
7:
1041:Landforms of Kabul Province
989:Silsilah ye Koh e Hindukush
371:
198:. Located on the border of
21:Salang Pass (The Americans)
10:
1062:
483:Rahim Faiez (2010-02-09).
452:Rod Norland (2010-02-09).
442:Salang Pass reopened again
292:
270:
25:
18:
997:
936:
895:
884:
823:
808:
707:
696:
610:
595:
330:On the way to Salang Pass
123:
108:35.3137333°N 69.0370861°E
84:
72:
62:
52:
40:
35:
267:February 2010 avalanches
26:Not to be confused with
19:For the TV episode, see
404:List of mountain passes
273:2010 Salang avalanches
113:35.3137333; 69.0370861
221:The pass crosses the
440:Newsru. Jan 19 2002.
430:Chapter 2: Mountains
178:connecting northern
104: /
58:3,878 m (12,723 ft)
248:in the South with
231:Ahmad Shah Massoud
196:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
1018:
1017:
1010:Parwan University
959:Kotal e Hindukush
768:
767:
378:Khost-Gardez Pass
283:Radio Free Europe
149:
148:
1053:
969:Salang mountains
944:Band-e Hindukush
896:Populated places
890:
795:
788:
781:
772:
771:
750:Salang Mountains
702:
589:Baghlan Province
582:
575:
568:
559:
558:
554:
533:
532:
526:
525:
510:
504:
503:
498:
497:
480:
474:
473:
467:
466:
449:
443:
437:
431:
425:
400:, nearby village
363:
351:
342:Salang pass view
339:
327:
315:
306:Salang Pass view
303:
204:Baghlan Province
170:
162:
139:
138:
132:
119:
118:
116:
115:
114:
109:
105:
102:
101:
100:
97:
45:
33:
32:
1061:
1060:
1056:
1055:
1054:
1052:
1051:
1050:
1021:
1020:
1019:
1014:
993:
954:Koh-e Hindukush
932:
891:
882:
819:
804:
802:Parwan Province
799:
769:
764:
703:
694:
665:Khost Wa Fereng
650:Farang Wa Gharu
606:
591:
586:
545:
542:
537:
536:
523:
521:
511:
507:
495:
493:
481:
477:
464:
462:
450:
446:
438:
434:
426:
417:
412:
374:
367:
364:
355:
352:
343:
340:
331:
328:
319:
316:
307:
304:
295:
275:
269:
200:Parwan Province
184:Parwan Province
145:
144:
143:
142:
141:
140:
112:
110:
106:
103:
98:
95:
93:
91:
90:
48:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1059:
1049:
1048:
1043:
1038:
1033:
1016:
1015:
1013:
1012:
1007:
1001:
999:
995:
994:
992:
991:
986:
981:
976:
971:
966:
961:
956:
951:
949:Ghorband River
946:
940:
938:
934:
933:
931:
930:
925:
920:
915:
910:
905:
899:
897:
893:
892:
885:
883:
881:
880:
875:
870:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
840:
835:
829:
827:
821:
820:
809:
806:
805:
798:
797:
790:
783:
775:
766:
765:
763:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
711:
709:
705:
704:
697:
695:
693:
692:
690:Tala wa Barfak
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
635:Dahana-I-Ghuri
632:
627:
625:Baghlani Jadid
622:
616:
614:
608:
607:
596:
593:
592:
585:
584:
577:
570:
562:
556:
555:
541:
540:External links
538:
535:
534:
505:
475:
459:New York Times
444:
432:
414:
413:
411:
408:
407:
406:
401:
395:
390:
385:
380:
373:
370:
369:
368:
365:
358:
356:
353:
346:
344:
341:
334:
332:
329:
322:
320:
317:
310:
308:
305:
298:
294:
291:
271:Main article:
268:
265:
250:Mazar-i-Sharif
188:Kabul Province
172:Kutal-i Salang
147:
146:
134:
133:
127:
126:
125:
124:
121:
120:
88:
82:
81:
76:
70:
69:
64:
60:
59:
56:
50:
49:
46:
38:
37:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1058:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1039:
1037:
1034:
1032:
1029:
1028:
1026:
1011:
1008:
1006:
1003:
1002:
1000:
996:
990:
987:
985:
982:
980:
977:
975:
972:
970:
967:
965:
962:
960:
957:
955:
952:
950:
947:
945:
942:
941:
939:
935:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
900:
898:
894:
889:
879:
876:
874:
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
830:
828:
826:
822:
818:
814:
813:
807:
803:
796:
791:
789:
784:
782:
777:
776:
773:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
712:
710:
706:
701:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
670:Khwaja Hijran
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
617:
615:
613:
609:
605:
601:
600:
594:
590:
583:
578:
576:
571:
569:
564:
563:
560:
552:
548:
547:"Salang Pass"
544:
543:
531:
520:
516:
509:
502:
492:
491:
486:
479:
472:
461:
460:
455:
448:
441:
436:
429:
424:
422:
420:
415:
405:
402:
399:
396:
394:
391:
389:
386:
384:
381:
379:
376:
375:
362:
357:
350:
345:
338:
333:
326:
321:
314:
309:
302:
297:
296:
290:
288:
284:
280:
274:
264:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
238:
236:
232:
228:
227:Salang Tunnel
224:
219:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
176:mountain pass
173:
166:
158:
154:
131:
122:
117:
99:69°02′13.51″E
96:35°18′49.44″N
89:
87:
83:
80:
77:
75:
71:
68:
65:
61:
57:
55:
51:
44:
39:
34:
29:
28:Salang Tunnel
22:
979:Salang River
973:
878:Surkhi Parsa
810:
754:
740:Kunduz River
597:
551:Google Earth
550:
528:
522:. Retrieved
508:
500:
494:. Retrieved
490:Toronto Star
488:
478:
469:
463:. Retrieved
457:
447:
435:
398:North Salang
383:Wakhjir Pass
276:
262:
239:
220:
216:Salang River
194:province of
171:
161:د سالنګ لاره
152:
150:
984:Shibar Pass
974:Salang Pass
964:Kushan Pass
928:Jabal Saraj
848:Jabal Saraj
755:Salang Pass
745:Kushan Pass
735:Khawak Pass
685:Puli Khumri
604:Puli Khumri
393:Khojak Pass
388:Khyber Pass
287:traffic jam
258:Shibar Pass
212:Tokharistan
208:Kushan Pass
180:Afghanistan
153:Salang Pass
111: /
86:Coordinates
67:Afghanistan
36:Salang Pass
1025:Categories
863:Sayed Khel
720:Hindu Kush
680:Puli Hisar
524:2010-02-10
496:2010-02-10
465:2010-02-10
410:References
279:avalanches
223:Hindu Kush
79:Hindu Kush
1005:Governors
937:Landforms
868:Shekh Ali
853:Kohi Safi
825:Districts
760:Shah Kush
725:Khar Kush
708:Landforms
655:Guzargahi
640:Dih Salah
612:Districts
240:It links
192:Pakistani
169:كتل سالنگ
54:Elevation
918:Gulbahar
873:Shinwari
843:Ghorband
838:Charikar
817:Charikar
730:Kharkush
471:Tuesday.
372:See also
242:Charikar
63:Location
923:Istalif
812:Capital
715:Andarab
660:Khinjan
620:Andarab
599:Capital
293:Gallery
913:Bagram
908:Ashava
858:Salang
833:Bagram
675:Nahrin
254:Kunduz
214:. The
157:Pashto
998:Other
903:Ahtaj
645:Dushi
630:Burka
246:Kabul
182:with
74:Range
252:and
244:and
202:and
165:Dari
151:The
1027::
815::
602::
549:.
527:.
517:.
499:.
487:.
468:.
456:.
418:^
167::
163:;
159::
794:e
787:t
780:v
581:e
574:t
567:v
553:.
155:(
30:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
