DUSHANBE, July 18, 2015, Asia-Plus — Severe mudflow has affected the village of Barsem in the Shugnan district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
A severe mudflow triggered by glacial melt amid abnormally hot weather in the country affected the village of Barsem in the Shugnan district of Gorno Badakhshan Thursday afternoon.
Dozens of residential buildings were destroyed completely. The mudflow damaged two kilometers of road and four kilometers of overhead power transmission lines in the Shugnan district.
Fortunately, there were no casualties among the population.
The mudflow carrying with it the mass of slurry, huge rocks and uprooted trees formed a giant dam blocking the Ghund River. The river returned back and the water is approaching the village of Tang, where the Pamir-1 hydroelectric power plant (HPP) is located.
Two units of the Pamir-1 HPP and units of the Khorog HPP supplying electricity to the Shugnan district, Khorog, the Roshtqala district, part of the Ishkashim district and part of the Rushan district have been switched off and these areas have been left without power.
Saturday morning, the water reportedly broke through the dam in some places carrying slurry and house wrecks downstream.
If the river bursts the dam completely the flood may cause serious damage to other villages and even Khorog, the capital of Gorno Badakhshan.
Local authorities have warned of threat of flood in Khorog and residents of houses along the river are advised to move to safe places.
Senior representatives of the Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (CES) under the Government of Tajikistan are in the region and closely monitoring the situation, which remains serious.
