Kotal-e Salang
Encyclopedia
The Salang Pass (el. 3878 m or 12,723 ft) is the major mountain pass
connecting northern Afghanistan
and Kabul province
, with further connections to southern Afghanistan and Pakistan
. It is just to the east of the Kushan Pass
, and both of them were of great importance in early times as they provided the most direct connections between the Kabul region with northern Afghanistan or Tokharistan. The Salang River
originates nearby and flows south.
The pass crosses the Hindu Kush
but is now bypassed through the Salang tunnel
, built by the Soviet Union
in 1964, which runs underneath it at a height of about 3,400 m. It links Charikar
and Kabul
with Mazari Sharif and Termez
. Before the road and tunnel were built, the main route between Kabul and northern Afghanistan was via the Shibar Pass
, a much longer route which took three days.
The road through the pass has carried heavy military traffic in recent conflicts and is in very bad repair.
On 3 November 1982, during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, there was a huge fire in the tunnel which at the time was filled with Soviet military convoys. A very large, but unknown number, of Soviet troops were killed in the Salang tunnel fire
.
s.
According to press reports the road through the pass was hit by 17 avalanches, killing dozens, burying miles of highway, and trapping the vehicles in the Salang tunnel.
By February 10, 2010 authorities had recovered over 160 bodies.
Radio Free Europe
reports the first avalanche blocked the tunnel, and trapped vehicles in a traffic jam in a "deadly avalanche zone".
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
connecting northern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Kabul province
Kabul Province
Kābul , situated in the east of the country, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. The capital of the province is Kabul City, which is also Afghanistan's capital. The population of Kabul province is 3.5 million people as of 2009, of which almost 80 percent live in the urban areas...
, with further connections to southern Afghanistan and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is just to the east of the Kushan Pass
Kushan Pass
The Kushan Pass or Kaoshan Pass is a mountain pass just west of the famous Salang Pass in the Hindu Kush mountain range of northern Afghanistan...
, and both of them were of great importance in early times as they provided the most direct connections between the Kabul region with northern Afghanistan or Tokharistan. The Salang River
Salang River
The Salang is a 438 kilometre long river of Afghanistan, flowing through Parwan Province. It is a tributary of the Indus River and the Ghorband River and the Panjshir River and the Kabul River.-Geography:...
originates nearby and flows south.
The pass crosses the Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
but is now bypassed through the Salang tunnel
Salang tunnel
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....
, built by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1964, which runs underneath it at a height of about 3,400 m. It links Charikar
Charikar
Charikar is the main town of the Kohdaman Valley and the capital of Parwan Province in northern Afghanistan. The city lies on the road 69 km from Kabul to the northern provinces. Travelers would have to pass by the city when going to Mazari Sharif, Kunduz or Puli Khumri. Charikar is at the...
and Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
with Mazari Sharif and Termez
Termez
Termez is a city in southern Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan.Some link the name of the city to thermos, "hot" in Greek, tracing its name back to Alexander the Great. Others suggest that it came from Sanskrit taramato, meaning "on the river bank". It is the hottest point of Uzbekistan...
. Before the road and tunnel were built, the main route between Kabul and northern Afghanistan was via the Shibar Pass
Shibar Pass
Shibar Pass is situated at a height of 3,000 m above sea-level and is one of the two main routes from Kabul to Bamiyan in central Afghanistan. The journey is approximately 6 and half hours long covering around ....
, a much longer route which took three days.
The road through the pass has carried heavy military traffic in recent conflicts and is in very bad repair.
On 3 November 1982, during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, there was a huge fire in the tunnel which at the time was filled with Soviet military convoys. A very large, but unknown number, of Soviet troops were killed in the Salang tunnel fire
Salang tunnel fire
The Salang tunnel fire occurred on 3 November 1982 in Afghanistan's Salang tunnel during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Details are uncertain, but the incident may have been the deadliest known road accident, and one of the deadliest fires of modern times.- Overview :The Salang tunnel,...
.
February 2010 avalanches
On February 9, 2010, the pass was hit by multiple avalancheAvalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s.
According to press reports the road through the pass was hit by 17 avalanches, killing dozens, burying miles of highway, and trapping the vehicles in the Salang tunnel.
By February 10, 2010 authorities had recovered over 160 bodies.
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
reports the first avalanche blocked the tunnel, and trapped vehicles in a traffic jam in a "deadly avalanche zone".