DUSHANBE, January 8, Asia-Plus -- It is the third day that more than 80 people have remained trapped in avalanches that occurred in the Maykhura area on January 6, blocking in some places (60th and 70th kilometers) the highway from Dushanbe to Khujand.

A driver of one of twelve vehicles trapped in the avalanches told Asia-plus by cell phone that there no injured among the people trapped at the site.  “But if the road is not cleared in the near future, the situation will worsen,” he said.

According to him, Tajik road builders will scarcely manage to clear the road on their own, and therefore, rescuers have to evacuate 80 people trapped at the site.

In the meantime, representatives from the Committee for Emergency Situation (CES) said that they had no information about those avalanches.  “But if the avalanches really occurred we will taken all necessary measures,” the CES source said, noting that in cases of necessity they will enlist the services of Chinese specialists working on rehabilitation of the Dushanbe-Khujand highway.   

We will recall that at least three persons were killed in a huge avalanche that occurred in the same area on December 22.  Some 100 cars trapped by the snow-slip were got out of snow captivity that time.