DUSHANBE, July 26, Asia-Plus — 43 natural disasters reported in Tajikistan in the past six months have caused 46.1313 million somonis (equivalent to $13.5 million) worth of damage to the country’s economy, Mahmadtohir Zokirov, Chairman of the Committee for Emergency Situations (CES) announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 25. 

According to him, 171 disasters hit Tajikistan in January-June 2006 and damage caused by them to the country’s economy was estimated at 13.2214 million somonis.

“Over the first six months of this year, 4,218 residential buildings have been damaged by various disasters; of them, 437 houses have been destroyed completely,“ the CES head said, noting that damage caused to the population was estimated at 10.8535 million somonis. 

He added that disasters that hit the country over the report period have left 19 dead (in January-June 2006, 27 people were killed in disasters in Tajikistan).

Speaking to journalists, Zokirov said that in January0June 2007, 38,626 families, totaling 333,291 people, were supposed to be relocated from disaster-prone areas to safe places

On the disasters that hit the Rasht and Asht districts recently, the CES head said that both the government and international organizations active in Tajikistan have provided assistance to the disaster-hit people there.                   

We will recall that an earthquake and mudflows triggered by torrential rains, killed 15 people in Tajikistan and damaged more than 1,000 houses on July 21-24 this year.  

The earthquake hit a number of villages in the Rasht district last Sunday morning, at around 03:344 a.m., killing 3 boys from one family.

On the same day, at 14:00 (DYU time) a mudflow ripped through a resort area and killed 12 people in the Asht district in northern Tajikistan.  

On July 24, a mudflow hit Sarichashma, Shokhcha and Jairakhona villages of Shaidon jamoat in Asht, affected 34 houses.  4 houses were destroyed completely and 30 others were partially damaged.