KABUL. March 7. KAZINFORM Avalanches killed at least 37 people Tuesday in a remote northeastern province of Afghanistan and officials feared the death toll would rise, CNN said.

About 20 houses were smothered with snow in the village of Shirinazen in Badakshan province, said Abdul Maroof Raseq, spokesman for the governor.

He said women and children were among the dead and at least six others were injured.

The Badakshan governor, who was stranded by the avalanches, was taken by helicopter to neighboring Tajikistan, which was easier to reach than nearby areas of Afghanistan.

Afghans have been suffering through a brutal winter with bitterly cold temperatures and heavy snowfall.