Hot weather on August 11 caused the snow to melt on the mountaintops that led to flooding near the village of Savnob in the Rushan district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), according to the Emergencies Committee under the Government of Tajikistan.

“As a result of hot weather on August 11, the Bartang River burst its banks at 10:00 pm and caused a mudflow that blocked the road near the village of Savnob.  Road workers and special equipment have been sent to the mudflow site the clear the road of slurry,” Umeda Yusufi, a spokeswoman for the Emergencies Committee, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

The road is temporarily closed for traffic.  No casualties or destruction were reported, according to Yusufi.  

It is to be noted that Tajikistan has faced abnormal heat this summer for the first time in 78 years.  In early July 2022, Tajikistan had average temperature varying from +33ºC to +43ºC.  The average temperature in the country during July was +37ºC, while in July 2021, this indicator was +27.7ºC, and in July 2020, +25.4ºC.