Afghan death toll from heavy snowfall and avalanches hits 191

The death toll from avalanches and freezing weather conditions across Afghanistan has risen to 191, officials said Friday, as rescue operations were underway in the worst-affected areas.

Twenty-two provinces in Afghanistan have been blanketed by days of heavy snowfall, triggering avalanches, destroying buildings and leaving many trapped in their snowbound homes.

"The death toll we have received from avalanches and freezing weather has risen to 191," Mohammad Aslam Sayyas, deputy minister for disaster management, told AFP.