KULOB, May 8, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Friday evening, President Emomali Rahmon held an extraordinary meeting in the city of Kulob to discuss mitigation of effects of mudflows that hit the city and nearby areas on the night of May 6-7.

Speaking at the meeting, President Rahmon noted that according to data provided by the Committee for Emergency Situations (CES) and Kulob authorities, seven people were killed by mudflows in the city and the district of Kulob and 40 other people have been reported missing.  Besides, two residents of the village of Sangdara in the Muminobod district, some 30 kilometers of Kulob, were killed by the Friday mudflows, and six residents of the Shuroobod district are reported missing.  

He added that more than 1,500 houses were damaged and 12 bridges were destroyed by mudflows that hit the Kulob zone on Friday.  In the Muminobod district alone, 80 residential buildings were affected in six villages, 30 of them are destroyed to the extent of being unsuitable for living, the president said, noting that Vose and Shuroobod districts were also seriously affected by mudflows.  Mudflows damaged some 100 kilometers of roads in the Kulob zone.     

The president ordered to assess actual volumes of damage caused by disaster to the Kulob zone.  A special republican commission for mitigation of the disaster effects was set up and Deputy Prime Minister Murodali Alimardon heads this commission.

The President also ordered to build new houses for the disaster-hit population until November 6.  The Committee for Land Management is to allot land for construction of a new settlement for families, whose houses are located in the disaster-prone area.  Rahmon also proposed to relocate those who agree to the Danghara district.

In the meantime, Asia-Plus reporter for Kulob says that at least eight women and children were buried without registration with medical services.

The Kulob mudflow death toll is rising as water level in the Tebalay River is reducing.  Local journalist Asliddin Dostiyev told Asia-Plus on Saturday that he saw himself that the bodies of 1-to-2 year girl and 3-to-4 year-old boy had been dug out.  “Their relatives buried them without registration with medical services,” Dostiyev said.

Besides, according to some sources, several bodies were found near the village of Margak in the Kulob district.

Thus, according to various data, the number of those killed by Friday mudflows may reach 20 people.

The disaster occurred Friday early in the morning, at about 1:40, as the Tebalay River overflowed its banks.  The mudflow that carried thousands cubic meters of slurry and broken trees with it was so powerful that people even did not have time to leave their houses.  Another powerful mudflow seriously damaged a school building in the Dahana village, some 18 kilometers of Kulob Friday afternoon.  Fortunately, all school students were evacuated.  Number of mudflows also hit the Vose, Muminobod and Shuroobod districts.

Rescue teams form CES as well as servicemen from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the regiment of Russian military base 201 deployed in Kulob have worked in the disaster area, evacuating people and mitigating effects of the disaster.

Government structures and international organizations are continuing to provide assistance to the disaster-hit population.