KULOB, May 19, 2009, Asia-Plus — Damage caused to Khatlon’s Muminobod district by torrential rain and resulting mudslides over the past month has been estimated at 2 million U.S. dollars. Moreover, the mudslide killed a 10-year-old girl in late April.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Muminobod chairman Safarali Zokirov noted that heavy rainfalls and mudslides had destroyed two bridges and partially damaged 48 residential buildings in the district. Besides, 10 head of cattle and 33 head of sheep and goats have been killed by mudslides.
Mudslides have also damaged in some sections the road between the villages of Sangdara, Qipchoq and Langar.
Downpours have demolished 56 hectares of agricultural fields, the district chairman said. He added that the district did not have funds to remove disaster effects. “In 2008, we set up the relief fund for mitigation effects of natural disasters but we have managed to collect only 7,000 somoni so far and the collected money will be distributed to the worst hit families,” Zokirov said.
