Afghan Migrants Die In Freezing Conditions At Iran Border
A group of Afghan migrants travelling to Iran have died inside Iranian territory after encountering severe cold weather, sources in Herat province told Afghanistan International.
A group of Afghan migrants travelling to Iran have died inside Iranian territory after encountering severe cold weather, sources in Herat province told Afghanistan International.
According to the sources, the bodies of at least 15 migrants have been transferred to the Kohsan and Adraskan districts of Herat. Some sources said the death toll could be in the dozens, though the figures have not been officially confirmed.
Afghanistan International spoke with an Afghan migrant who visited morgues at the Shuhada Cemetery and at Taybad Hospital in Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province. He said more than 40 Afghan migrants had died.
Many Afghan migrants are also reported missing along the Iran–Afghanistan border, the sources said.
In recent days, hundreds of migrants are believed to have set out for Iran and encountered a wave of extreme cold along the route. The severe weather is continuing.
Sources said the migrants were attempting to enter Iran via an unofficial route from Islam Qala towards Taybad. Weather conditions along the border were described as snowy, rainy and extremely cold.
Families of the migrants are reported to be searching for the bodies of their relatives.
Iranian authorities and the Taliban have so far made no public comment on the incident.
This is a developing story.
