The death toll from three days of heavy snow across Afghanistan rose to 54 today and there were fears the toll could rise as rescuers began clearing roads to remote areas.<br/><br/>A spokesman for the ministry of natural disasters, Mohammad Omar Mohammadi told a news agency that avalanches destroyed scores of homes and blocked roads in central and northeastern provinces. He said, so far, 54 persons have lost their lives and 52 were injured as a result of avalanches and freezing weather in 22<br/>provinces.'<br/><br/>He said 168 houses were destroyed and 340 cattle killed. Authorities fear the toll may rise sharply because rescue crews have yet to reach some of the worst-hit areas.<br/><br/>In the badly hit northeastern province of Badakhshan at least 18 people, including three women and two children, were killed when avalanches hit their houses overnight, said provincial spokesman Naweed Frotan.<br/><br/>Five people were killed by avalanches in the Balkhab district of Sari Pul province in northern Afghanistan and at least 70 people trapped under the snow were being rescued, said provincial spokesman Zabiullah Amani.<br/><br/>In Parwan province just north of Kabul, the spokesman for governor Wahid Sediqqi said 16 people died.<br/><br/>The government declared today, a normal working day in Afghanistan, to be a public holiday to deter non-essential travel and ensure schools were closed.<br/><br/>In Pakistan's Chitral district located in north part of the province on the border with Afghanistan at least 14 people were killed in an avalanche that buried five homes following heavy snowfall in a remote area. Chitral is part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.