Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Mudslides in Tajikistan have left ten people dead and two missing, officials said Tuesday, in the latest fatal mass flow of earth caused by downpours in the impoverished ex-Soviet region.
Fatal landsides affect mountainous Central Asia every year, mostly around springtime, blocking off roads in a region lacking transport infrastructure and forcing families to rebuild homes from scratch.
“There has been torrential rain in the north of Tajikistan and a fatal mudslide occurred,” the emergencies committee said in a statement.
It said flows of earth on Monday swept through the northern Sogd region, trapping people tending to livestock.
“During search operations rescuers removed the bodies of eight shepherds from under the mud masses. The search for two more continues,” the emergency services said.—APP