Heavy snowfall and freezing weather has killed 27 children, all under the age of five, in a remote district in northern Afghanistan, officials said Thursday, with fears the toll could rise.

Roads in Darzaab in northern Jawzjan province were blocked by 50 centimetres (20 inches) of snow, cutting off access for villagers in the area to medical care as temperatures plunged to -10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit).

"Unfortunately we have 27 children killed due to heavy snowfall and freezing weather," district governor Rahmatullah Hashar told AFP, saying the deaths had occurred over the last two or three days.

All the children were under the age of five, he said, adding the blocked roads mean the toll could still increase.

The deaths were confirmed by the Jawzjan provincial governor's spokesman, Reza Ghafoori, who said aid would be delivered via emergency committees.

Heavy snowfall and avalanches kill scores of people in Afghanistan each winter.

In 2015, avalanches killed some 300 people across the country, the bulk of them in the mountainous province of Panjshir, north of Kabul.

Rescue efforts after disasters such as avalanches and flash floods, which often hit as snows melt in the spring, are frequently hampered by lack of equipment.

Poor infrastructure makes it difficult for rescue teams to reach isolated areas.

Avalanches kill six Indian soldiers in Kashmir
Srinagar, India (AFP) Jan 26, 2017 - Six Indian soldiers were killed in Kashmir when avalanches hit an army post and a patrol along the de facto border that divides the disputed territory with Pakistan, the army said Thursday.

The avalanches buried an army camp and a separate patrol approaching a post on the border known as the Line of Control (LoC) under tons of snow in the remote Gurez area on Wednesday, an army spokesman told AFP.

"An officer and six other soldiers were rescued despite hostile weather. Bodies of three soldiers from the camp could be retrieved only today (Thursday) morning," said Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

Another avalanche, also on Wednesday, buried an army patrol that was approaching a post on the unofficial border with Pakistan in the same area.

"Coordinated rescue operations are in progress in which three bodies could be recovered so far," the spokesman said.

Details of the other missing soldiers, whose number was not clear, were being ascertained, he said.

Dozens of Indian and Pakistani soldiers are killed by avalanches almost every winter by avalanches along the LoC.

Indian-administered Kashmir has been witnessing one of the most severe winters in recent decades, with heavy snow across the territory and temperatures dropping to minus seven degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit).

Four members of a single family died on Wednesday in the same area when the house they were sleeping in was hit by an avalanche. A lone survivor was rescued.

One soldier also died Wednesday as in the north of the territory when a camp was hit by an avalanche.

Meteorologists have forecast more heavy snow across the territory over the next two more days.

Authorities had already issued avalanche warnings, advising residents in mountainous areas not to venture out.

Police last week evacuated 80 villagers from Waltengoo Nar -- where dozens were killed after a series of avalanches hit the area in 2005 -- in the south of the territory.