Dozens of people were feared trapped today when an avalanche struck the Salang Pass on the main road linking the Afghan capital with the north, the United Nations and travellers from the area said.
At least 20 vehicles have been trapped, said Mr Yusuf Hassan, a UN spokesman. The UN has received a request from the interim authority for assistance but we have no relevant equipment to free or rescue the people trapped there.
Travellers returning to Kabul said they had hit a traffic jam around 100 km (60 miles) north of the capital on the road to the Salang Tunnel.
The Soviet-built Salang - the world's highest tunnel at 13,350 feet (4,100 metres) -- was only reopened to traffic last month, having been blocked for years by fighting that has plagued Afghanistan for over two decades.