DUSHANBE, June 28, Asia-Plus — Although it is 10 years since Tajikistan’s national peace accord was signed, many areas in the country are still contaminated with land mines and unexploded ordinances.
On June 27, the seventh accident for 2007 sadly killed a sapper of the Tajik Mine Action Cell (TMAC), who was working on clearing minefield in the Rudaki district.
The TMAC director Jonmahmad Rajabov told Asia-Plus that the incident took place near the village of Qirgochak (phonetically spelled), yesterday. “A 22-year-old sapper Azam Abdusattorov was seriously injured after a land mine exploded,” said the TMAC director, “He died on the way to hospital.”
According to Rajabov, the TMAC demining team has cleared some 1,500 square meters of land in the Rudaki district so far and destroyed some 700 anti-personnel mines and other unexploded ordnances (UXOs) there.
The TMAC director noted that at present three-de-mining teams and four investigation teams are working in Panj, Hamadoni, Rudaki, Rasht and Darvoz districts.
The TMAC de-mining teams have cleared 15,407 square meters of land in Tajikistan. 3,600 square meters of land and destroyed 603 anti-personnel mines and 77 unexploded ordnances in the country this year so far.
Landmines have killed seven persons, including the June 27 incident, in Tajikistan since the beginning of the year, according to the TMAC director.
