AFGHANISTAN: Cold-snap deaths top 300

KABUL, 22 January 2008 (IRIN) - The number of people killed by cold weather and heavy snow in several Afghan provinces over the past four weeks has risen to over 300, and dozens of others have been injured, the Afghanistan National Disasters Management Authority (ANDMA) said on 22 January. --- The main victims are children and elderly people as they are particularly vulnerable to winter diseases such as pneumonia and other respiratory infections.