Rescue workers in Tajikistan are looking for survivors after several avalanches struck the country's mountainous east, killing at least 17 people.
The Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region's capital, Khorog, has reportedly been hardest hit, according to officials.
There are dozens of buried houses, some of which are completely destroyed.
The Pamir mountain range covers the majority of the impoverished Central Asian country, making avalanches and rockfalls a constant threat.
Since the avalanches started earlier this week, local authorities report that 13 people have died in Khorog and another four elsewhere in the area.
Many people have suffered injuries.
There are two female students reported missing in the Ishkosh region.
Rescue teams are seen in video that has surfaced from one location removing a child from a collapsed home. People can be seen digging through the thick snow in the area in an effort to find more survivors.
Local residents have relocated to safer areas in large numbers.
In the area bordering Afghanistan and China, the avalanches have also rendered numerous roads impassable.
The authorities reported 69 avalanches on Thursday in just one day. .
In the coming days, they caution, there is a possibility of more.
