Heavy Rain and Mudflows Kill Four in Tajikistan
Heavy rain and landslides have swept parts of Tajikistan in recent days, killing at least four people and damaging dozens of homes, as well as roads and farmland. In one incident, a boat carrying students capsized in a river but all the passengers were rescued. Three people were killed and three others were hospitalized in the southern city of Kulob after an overnight deluge, the press office of Tajikistan’s presidency said on Saturday. President Emomali Rahmon expressed condolences and instructed top officials to go to the scene of the disaster and help affected families. Intense rainfall continued over the weekend. One person died and two others were seriously injured in a lightning strike in Kaduchi village on Sunday afternoon, according to Tajikistan’s Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense. The victims were taken to a hospital in the western city of Tursunzoda. Mudflows damaged homes, roads, and other infrastructure in several villages and settlements. Some canals filled with mud, stones, and gravel before overflowing into nearby streets. Emergency workers brought in heavy machinery and pumps to clear debris and water. The boat that capsized on Sunday afternoon was carrying seven secondary school students and their class teacher on the Syr Darya River, which runs through the northern city of Khujand. The group had arrived at a cultural and entertainment park for the excursion. Boatmen and other people rescued the students, according to an official account.
