KHUJAND, December 29, Asia-Plus  -- Officers from the Sughd emergency management agency are continuing the operation for search for the Shahriston avalanche victim.

The Sughd emergencies official Khodoiberdi Qodirberdiyev told Asia-Plus on Monday that they intend to involve trained avalanche search and rescue dogs in the operation.

As it had been reported earlier, heavy snowfall on December 23 caused an avalanche on the Shahriston Pass in the Sughd province that blocked in several places the highway from Dushanbe to Khujand.  The avalanche blocked the section of the Dushanbe-Khujand highway from the 192nd to the 201st kilometer, and one person has been reported missing.

According to Qodirberdiyev, the person that has been reported missing may be the 24-year-old resident of Khujand Khurshed Nazarov.  “His fur-cap was found during the search operation,” the emergencies official said.