QURGHON TEPPA, May 15, 2009, Asia-Plus — A powerful mudslide caused by torrential rain swept through the Ayni jamoat in Khatlon’s Khuroson yesterday, completely or partially destroying some 400 residential buildings.
Many residential buildings and social facilities at the town of Uyali were buried by slurry. Mudslide also seriously damaged local hospital.
According to local administration, no injured was reported. Residents of villages and patients from the mudslide-hit hospital have been temporarily placed in schools, shops and unhurt social facilities.
A special commission, comprising senior representatives from local authorities and emergency management agency, is currently working at the mudslide site to provide assistance to the disaster-hit population and assess the actual volume of damage caused to the district by heavy rainfalls and mudslides.
It is not the first powerful mudslide in the Ayni jamoat. We will recall that torrential rain on April 21-22 caused mudslides that hit two villages in the jamoat. 22 houses were destroyed completely and 65 other houses were damaged partially.
Referring to the Committee for Emergency Situations (CES), some media report that unusually powerful mudslides have killed 18 people in Tajikistan this month.
Landslides happen every year in Tajikistan, but they were stronger than usual this spring due to very heavy rainfall.
