News|Climate

Torrential rains kill at least 21 people in Tajikistan

Three days of rains cause flooding, landslides and mudflows, killing people in three towns in the centre of the country.

Tajikistan
A mudslide badly damaged a road in the town of Vakhdat, Tajikistan [Tajikistan Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defence/Handout via Reuters]
Published On 30 Aug 2023

At least 21 people have died as three days of torrential rains have caused flooding, landslides and mudflows in Tajikistan, the latest natural disaster to hit the mountainous Central Asian country.

A spokesperson from the Committee for Emergency Situations told the Agence France-Presse news agency on Wednesday that “there are 21 dead”, up from a toll of 13 on Monday.

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The deaths took place in three towns in central Tajikistan, not far from the capital, Dushanbe.

Images and videos have appeared on social media platforms, showing cars on flooded and damaged roads.

The government said on Monday that the risk of landslides remained high due to the heavy rains, and it warned people to remain cautious, especially around Tajikistan’s mountains.

The European Union’s ambassador to the country, Raimundas Karoblis, has offered condolences to the families of the victims.

The government of Iran and other countries have offered their support to the government of Tajikistan.

The country is vulnerable to natural catastrophes. In February, dozens of avalanches, landslides and rockfalls struck Upper Badakhshan, an autonomous region in the south, bordering Afghanistan, China and Kyrgyzstan, that is surrounded by the Pamir Mountains.

Source: News Agencies