DUSHANBE, April 19, Asia -Plus - 22 people have been killed in various natural disasters in Tajikistan in the first quarter of the year, according to information from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) press service.  

The source says damage caused by natural disasters to the country’s economy over the same three-month period has amounted to some 6.6 million Somonis (equivalent to some 2.12 million U.S. dollars), which is 1.1466 million Somonis fewer compared to January-March 2005.

In January-March this year, 576 residential buildings have been damaged by disasters; of them, 94 have been destroyed completely.  

10 officers and 240 servicemen of the country’s emergency services have participated in rehabilitation works in the Hamadoni district in the first quarter of the year, according to the MES press service.  

Within the framework of aid provided by Japan’s and Tajikistan’s governments the unit for providing the Hamadoni district with safe drinking water has been set up, Jamila Tilloyeva, a spokeswoman for the MES said.  

Besides, 150 training on civil defense have been conducted since the beginning of the year to raise disaster response awareness among the population.  522,125 citizens of the country have been trained in those courses, according to Ms. Tilloyeva.