A search operation for three persons who were buried by an avalanche in the Varzob district last Friday is under way.

Relatives of three men who were buried by an avalanche on the 72nd kilometer of the Dushanbe-Khujand highway on February 17 have applied to Asia-Plus.

“Ismatullo Usmonov from the Choryakkoron jamoat of Roudaki district, Nourullo Fayzulloyev from the Kulpista jamoat of Roudaki district and Ismatullo Shukrulloyev from Zafarobod district (Sughd province) were in a car when an avalanche buried it,” one of relatives of the missing men told Asia-Plus by phone. 

“The details of this case will become known during the day,” Ms. Umeda Yusupova, a spokeswoman for the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (CES), told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.

According to her, traffic along the Dushanbe-Khujand highway, from the 48th to 78th kilometer, is temporarily limited because there is risk of further avalanches.

“Meanwhile, the Sharshar, Chormaghzak and Fakhrobod passes as well as the Dushanbe-Lakhsh (formerly Jirgatol) highway are open for traffic,” Yusupova said.  

Recall, three roadmen of the Branch of Innovative Road Solutions Ltd (IRS) in Tajikistan, which operates the toll on the Dushanbe-Khujand highway, were killed by an avalanche on the highway on February 18.  The roadmen were reportedly clearing the highway of snow when the avalanche buried them. 

Three roadmen – Nekrouz Zuburov, Jaffar Yoraliyev and Fakhriddin Ashourov – were killed while four others were pulled alive out of snow by IRS employees.  

Mountains cover 93 percent of Tajikistan, and avalanches and mudslides kill dozens of people every year.

Tajikistan has appealed to diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to Tajikistan for help in mitigating effects of recent natural disasters.