Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

February 14, 2020: At least 21 people have died in avalanches in the Daykundi province in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan's disaster management authority confirmed. Other 10 people have been injured. About 50 houses have been destroyed by the avalanches. The Afghanistan Meteorological Department  had predicted of severe weather with rainfall, heavy snow and flash flooding for several provinces, including Daykundi.

February 6, 2020: At least 41 people have been killed and 84 others have been injured after two avalanches hit Turkey's eastern border with Iran, the Turkish Natural Disaster and Crisis Directorate (AFAD) said. Two avalanches occurred near Bahçesaray in Turkey's eastern Van Province. On 4 February 2020, an avalanche took place in a mountain pass in the Bahçesaray district.  Fatalities included eight military police officers, three government-paid village guards, three firefighters and nine volunteers. 

January 16, 2020: At least 77 people have been killed and 94 others have been injured due to recent avalanches in northeast Pakistan. The avalanches were triggered by heavy snowfall in the Neelum Valley, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan also tweeted, “The severe snowfalls and landslides in AJK have caused misery & deaths." Main Post: Recent Natural Disasters List January 15, 2020

March 28, 2017: An avalanche in ski slopes in Japan has claimed lives of at least seven high school students and a teacher. The avalanche occurred early on Monday near Nasu in Tochigi prefecture, 120km (75 miles) north of Tokyo.

January 18, 2017: A series of four earthquakes rattled Central Italy between Abruzzo, Lazio, the Marche and Umbria regions triggering avalanche which buried the Rigopiano hotel in the Gran Sasso mountain near Farindola in the Abruzzo region. Update January 19, 2017 According to the state-run news agency ANSA, at least three bodies have been pulled from the snow amid the slow search. Main Post First earthquake was of magnitude 5.3 which struck 25 km northwest of L’Aquila on 18 January at 10:25 local time. It was followed by a stronger 5.7 tremor at 11:14 local time. The third earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck 11 minutes later. The fourth earthquake of magnitude 5.2 was registered at 14:33 local time.

An avalanche triggered by earthquake has claimed life of a military trooper and injured one other in frontier Kargil district of Ladakh division in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The avalanche was triggered by a mild earthquake which buried two troopers on surveillance duty Wednesday night, Xinhua News Agency reported quoting a military spokesman.

An avalanche at an Austrian resort in the Alps has claimed lives of  five skiers from the Czech Republic. The avalanche in the Tyrol region buried 17 people injuring atleast two skiers. Ten people were rescued unhurt, the Associated Press reported quoting police spokesman Helmut Schuetz.

Aleast 10 soldiers have been missing after an avalanche struck the Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The avalanche occurred near the de facto border with Pakistan. "Soldiers from the Madras Regiment were buried under the snow deluge triggered on the northern side of the glacier early Wednesday morning," Hindustan Times reported quoting Army spokesperson NN Joshi.

Avalanche disaster near McBride, British Columbia of Canada claimed lives of five people on Friday. Avalanche injured two others and have been sent to hospital in stable condition, Global News Canada reported.

An avalanche in Savoie, eastern France claimed lives of five soldiers Monday afternoon. About eleven soldiers were caught up in the avalanche. Six soldiers were saved by rescuers.

Avalanche disaster site (GNFAC) An avalanche in southern Montana has claimed life of a snowmobiler. Two of the snowmobilers from North Dakota managed to dig themselves from the slide north of Cooke City on the Montana-Wyoming line. According to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC), the avalanche occurred on the SE face of Sheep Mountain between Lulu Pass and Round Lake. 

An avalanche in British Columbia , Canada has claimed life of a person and left one other missing. Both were group members snowmobiling near the Dore River drainage area, near McBride, B.C.

An avalanche in Austria today has claimed life of a 27-year-old Australian woman and critically injured a 30-year-old man. According to the Tyrol Police, two helicopters were involved in the rescue operation. Injured person is having treatment at an Innsbruck hospital, 80 km to the east.

An avalanche in Himachal Pradesh region of India has claimed lives of four people including an infant and a mother. The avalanche hit Pangi village in Chamba districtof Himachal Pradesh, India. Himachal Pradesh State Board of School education postponed its examination because of the severe weather condition.

Avalanches caused by a heavy winter snow have claimed lives of at least 124 people in northeastern Afghanistan, a Natural Disaster Management Authority said The Associated Press (AP). According to Mohammad Aslam Syas, the deputy director of the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority, the avalanches buried homes across four northeast provinces with worst hit to be Panjshir province, located around 100 kilometers northeast of the capital, Kabul.

An avalanche in Valais Alps in Switzerland has claimed lives of four Italian skiers on Saturday.  Avalanche occurred in an area of the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais known as "Death Valley." "They were skiing cross-country near a guesthouse in the Great Saint Bernard Pass, not far from the Italian border, when a massive sheet of snow dislodged and swept them away," The Guardian has written.

An avalanche in Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province  has claimed lives of at least twelve people. The disaster occurred in Raghistan district last night which also injured two others, Bakhtar News Agency has written quoting Ahmad Jaweed Jaweed, member of provincial council and people representative in Raghistan district. Heavy snowfall has also destroyed ten houses in Raghistan district.

At least two persons have gone missing following an avalanche in Humla of west Nepal. Police, assisted by locals, have launched a search operation to rescue the victims, Rastriya Samarchar Samiti (RSS) has reported quoting DSP Krishna Bahadur Kunwar.

An avalanche in the Queyras mountain range in the French Alps has claimed lives of six skiers. The bodies of three victims were found at an altitude of 2,500 metres. Later, a team of 18 rescue workers, backed by a helicopter and sniffer dogs discovered the rest of the missing team of hikers, France24 has written.

A series of avalanches over the weekend in Nagano and Niigata prefectures of Japan have claimed lives of four people. An avalanche Sunday at Ryuoo Ski Park in Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, killed two Argentine nationals. The 30-meter-wide, 200-meter-long avalanche started when the two Argentines skied off the prepared slope, The Japan Times has written quoting the Nagano Prefectural Police.