Disaster claims lives of seven in Tajikistan

By Vusala Abbasova - AzerNews 

Natural disasters hitting various areas of Tajikistan on Tuesday night claimed the lives of seven people, according to the latest reports.

The administration of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAR) in eastern Tajikistan reported on the aftermath of a series of recent mudflows and floods.

The number of victims reached six people in the Vanch district, according to the GBAR administration.

More than 80 percent of communities in the GBAR have been left without power, according to the United Nations Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team estimates.

As result of the first mudflow that struck a portion of the 450 kilometer-long Xorog-Dushanbe highway, a bridge was destroyed in the Dashtak village.

After the initial mudflow, crews with construction equipment had rushed to the scene in an attempt to repair the damaged bridge, only to be faced with a second wave that killed one driver and washed away two separate construction equipment.

The mudflow washed away another car in the Dzhovidon village, killing five people and injuring several others.

More than fifty homes have been either partially or totally destroyed in the Dzhovidon village of the Vanj district so far and those same areas are at risk of further damage from continued flooding.

The mudflow destroyed more than 100 houses and 10 kilometers of roads in the Bedaki village of the Rasht district.

The floods have destroyed not only homes, but also schools, shops, crops, roads, and power lines.

Tajikistan is ill-equipped to deal with the scale of the disaster unfolding. The country's authorities have therefore reached out to the international community for aid.

Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda met with representatives of international organizations to provide them all of the needed information about the scale of the damage.

He mentioned that the international community expressed its readiness to assist with disaster management and the reconstruction of Tajikistan’s damaged infrastructure.

The mudflows and floods that occurred in Tajikistan are the result of intense heat in recent days, which have led to an unusually rapid snowmelt.

Around 93 percent of Tajik territory is mountainous. Precipitation in the mountains often causes falling rocks, avalanches, and mudflows, leading to significant damage in the valleys.