First, a fundamental study on an integrated tunnel design system in rock masses is conducted, then it has been applied to existing and newly planned salang tunnels. At least 167 killed in afghanistan avalanche afghanistan. To those of you who have survived the salang tunnel scary even on a good day i congratulate you for commenting on this tragedy. High up in afghanistan, a ghostly ride through the. Piercing through the bowels of the hindu kush mountains at 3,400 metres 11,150 feet, the salang tunnel is an engineering marvel that connects kabul to central asia. The salang tunnel fire occurred on 3 november 1982 in afghanistans salang tunnel during the soviet occupation of afghanistan. A tunnels disrepair points to a broader afghan problem. It has been in use as a trade route between central afghanistan and the northern region known historically as bactria for at least four thousand years. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Kabul, 21 february 2003 irin the salang tunnel, a vital humanitarian link between the north and south of afghanistan, has been reopened to traffic. Northern afghanistan begins the central asian steppe grassy plains that reach all the way to russia.
Afghans say the salang is an enduring symbol of the soviet contribution to the development of their country. Weather forecast up to 14 days including temperature, weather condition and precipitation and much more. High up in afghanistan, a ghostly ride through the salang tunnel. The pass is the major mountain pass connecting northern afghanistan and kabul province. Balks at bills for afghanistans treacherous salang. The salang tunnel is the only pass going in a northsouth direction to remain in use throughout the year. The salang tunnel penetrates afghanistans most imperious mountain range, the hindu kush. Best nonfiction war books, around the world one book from each country, best iraq and afghanistan war books, best books on special forces m. List of books and articles about afghan history online. The salang tunnel is a vital, but decrepit trade route in afghanistan. Completed in 1964 by soviet engineers and thought of at the time as a.
A marvel of soviet engineering when it was first opened in 1964, the salang pass tunnel remains the major artery in afghanistans sparse transportation network. Tanakhak destination guide parvan, afghanistan trip. Northern afghanistan program for culture and conflict studies. But one useful legacy of the soviet unions aggressive interest in afghanistan was the salang tunnel, providing allweather vehicular passage beneath the forbidding pass. But i hadnt been told that the tunnel isnt just snowcovered it is also snowpacked, unpaved, unventilated, and unlit. Northern afghanistan travel afghanistan lonely planet. Afghanistan avalanches kill at least 165 in salang pass. Indeed, prior to the modern obsession about borders, the afghan nomads were quite at home on both sides of the amudarya, which now separates afghanistan from both tajikistan and uzbekistan. Government afghanistan is governed under the constitution of 2004. Key technical considerations on rehabilitation of existing salang. In 1955, afghanistan and the former soviet union signed an agreement to initiate joint development of the salang road, initially via the historic salang pass route. The foreign military are, of course, not the only users of the tunnel. It has been torn by internal strife and ideological differences, yet afghans, tribal though they may be, remain a proud nation. Salang tunnel north portal in charikar, afghanistan.
The salang tunnel located in parwan province is a link between northern and southern afghanistan crossing the hindukush mountain range under the difficult salang pass. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invas ion to september 10, 2001 kindle edition by coll, steve. Details are uncertain, but the incident may have been the deadliest known road accident, one of the deadliest fires of modern times, with the death toll estimated at 2,700 to 3,000 people. Northern afghanistan program for culture and conflict. Oddly, although ive been reporting in afghanistan on and off since december, this the first time i have ever really felt unsafe. The salang tunnel through the hindu kush connects the region to kabul. Afghan force counts losses after ambush stalls its drive. Kabul and the panjshir valley afghanistan uncharted. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Piercing through the bowels of the hindu kush mountains at 3,400 metres 11,150 feet, the salang tunnel is an engineering marvel that. See salang photos and images from satellite below, explore the aerial photographs of salang in afghanistan. The tunnel was built by the russians in 1964 and proved an enormous economic benefit as it cut transportation costs enormously throughout eastern afghanistan.
That route passes through afghanistans perilous salang tunnel, 11,000 feet up in the hindu kush mountains. Details are uncertain, but the incident may have been the deadliest known road accident, and one of the deadliest fires of modern times. Here she describes a trip from kabul to northern afghanistan and the. Avalanches caused by heavy snow kill at least 124 people. Salang hotels map is available on the target page linked above. Salang pass afghanistan was the tunnel we took from mazaresharif camp dehdadi ii to bagram air basethe unit i was with was the 1049th tc based out of mazaresharif camp dehdadi ii. It was completed by the soviet union in 1964 and has been used to connect the northern afghan cities with the capital, kabul. Afghanistans critical link between north and south is in dire need of promised foreign aid. A news story i produced during my deplolyment to afghanistan in 2012. When i was crossing the salang in the fall of 2010, i was stuck in the tunnel for about five hours and almost caused a heart attack to the afghan driver and interpreter when after being on the. The calamity began monday at the southern approaches of the 12,000foothigh salang pass, just south of a tunnel through the mountains, which connects kabul with northern afghanistan. Avalanches caused by a heavy winter snow have killed at least 124 people in northeastern afghanistan, an emergency official said on wednesday, as. At times, while driving through collapsed sections of the tunnel, stunning mountain views were revealed. Truck explosion kills 3,000 in afghanistan history.
For centuries it has been the playground of big powers, from alexander the great to the british empire and the soviet union. It was built by engineers from the former ussr in 1964. Salang pass the salang pass is in afghanistan on the road between kabul and mazaresharif. To those who have never been to afghanistan or perhaps never even left the usa, reading the recommended books about afghanistan is a good place to start your inquiry into this most fascinating area of the world. The difference between the worlds of the taliban and of the forces that oppose them were palpable along the 150mile drive from kabul to the salang tunnel, at 11,200 feet, and north to puli. It also procures northern afghanistan namely its road system and. Get your 3day weather forecast for salang, baghlan, afghanistan. Truck explosion kills 3,000 in afghanistan on november 2, 1982, a truck explodes in the salang tunnel in afghanistan, killing an estimated 3,000 people, mostly soviet soldiers traveling to kabul.
Afghanistan in a nutshell unabridged naxos audiobooks. A trip via the pass could take a very long day, or more, if there. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ghost wars. Salang pass, afghanistan the road that traverses this lofty mountain pass is the only direct route between kabul and afghanistans. On the other side, the road slides down a series of austere valleys before finally vanishing into the. It took thirty minutes or so before we burst from the exit of the tunnel, like a bat out of hell. On november 2, 1982, a truck explodes in the salang tunnel in afghanistan, killing an estimated 3000 people, mostly soviet soldiers traveling to kabul. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invas ion. Significant railroad construction did not take place until the 21st cent.
Providing the shortest allweather route, the tunnel and the road through it cut the alternative journey from kabul to the north by 300km 186 miles, bypassing bamiyan in central afghanistan. This was a region that was relatively isolated from the rest of afghanistan by the hindu kush until the salang tunnel was completed in mid1960s. The salang pass is in parwan afghanistan on the road between kabul and mazaresharif. A road and tunnel under the salang pass, built 1964 by the russians, provides a short, allweather route between n and s afghanistan. Vanda felbabbrown describes her journey across the salang pass and explains. Members of the afghan army search an overturned car, looking for avalanche victims in salang pass, 71 miles north of kabul, afghanistan, on wednesday. The twoway afghans say the salang is an enduring symbol of the soviet contribution to. Darahye salah khan destination guide parvan, afghanistan. The road through the salang pass is the only major route over the hindu kush mountains linking southern afghanistan to the north and central asia that remains open throughout the year. Salang, baghlan, afghanistan three day weather forecast. Mazare sharif is the major city along with kunduz and faizabad in northern afghanistan. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 paperback december 28, 2004.
A decade ago the salang tunnel, a key link in northsouth road traffic underwent major repairs. Consequently, in afghanistan the soviet army found. Avalanches kill dozens on mountain highway in afghanistan. Afghan blast toll is put in hundreds the new york times. There is only a much more difficult, and recently more dangerous2, route through bamian over a number of passes one of which, tellingly, is called dandanshekan, or the breaker of teeth. The salang tunnel is the only major northsouth route in afghanistan to remain open throughout the year.
Both have to pass through the now dreaded salang tunnel as the. Salang pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3,878m 12,723ft above the sea level, located in the hindu kush, a mountain range that stretches between central afghanistan and northern pakistan. Located on the border of parwan province and baghlan province, it is just to the east of the kushan. Balks at bills for afghanistans treacherous salang tunnel considered a marvel of engineering when it was built decades ago, the nowcrumbling salang tunnel has become a traffic nightmare. Details are uncertain, but the incident may have been the deadliest known road accident, and one of the deadliest fires of modern times, with the death toll estimated at.