Afghanistan

500 rescued in avalanche

International teams on Thursday rescued about 500 people trapped by an avalanche of snow. Four people died.

The avalanche roared down the Hindu Kush mountains Wednesday and blocked the Salang Tunnel, the world’s highest at some 11,000 feet above sea level. The tunnel is on the principal route between Kabul and Afghanistan’s north and is a key conduit for aid shipments.

Three people suffocated inside the tunnel and the fourth who died was trapped in a car outside, said United Nations spokesman Yusuf Hassan.

About 190 people trapped inside the tunnel, some 80 miles north of Kabul, were rescued early Thursday, according to Mohammedullah Gulaga, the Afghan coordinator of the rescue efforts.

Some 300 more were later freed from vehicles buried in the snow outside of the tunnel by rescuers from The HALO Trust, a British-based de-mining group that sent armored bulldozers to dig out cars, spokesman Gerhard Zank said.

Washington

World Bank gives Africa $500 million for AIDS fight

African countries will get an additional $500 million to combat AIDS under a World Bank loan approved Thursday.

The decision by the 183-nation lending institution’s board of directors brings lending to Africa under the Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program for Africa to $1 billion in the current financial year.

An initial $500 million was approved last September.

The funds will be used for the prevention, treatment and support programs in 12 to 15 sub-Saharan African countries, the bank said.

According to the bank, AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa, having claimed the lives of more than 18 million Africans. Another 28.1 million Africans are living with HIV/AIDS out of 40 million HIV-positive people worldwide.