Over the past 24 hours, 13 avalanches of varying sizes have occurred on the Dushanbe – Chanak highway, leading to temporary traffic restrictions on the route, says the press center of the Branch of Innovative Road Solutions (IRS) in Tajikistan, which operates the toll on this highway.  

According to the IRS’s Branch, specialists warn of a continued risk of further avalanches, which is why traffic remains limited.

Rescue operations and road clearance

On the night of March 3, IRS personnel rescued seven vehicles trapped under snow. Fortunately, all passengers were unharmed.

Tajikistan's road services are working intensively to clear the highway. However, in some sections, the snow cover reaches up to 60 cm, making the cleanup process difficult.

"As soon as conditions become safe, traffic on the highway will be restored," IRS officials stated.

Fatal avalanche incident on February 26

On February 26, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was caught in an avalanche on the Dushanbe – Chanak highway, resulting in the death of the driver.

The incident occurred in the Ayni district of Sughd province.  Rescuers and the victim's relatives were able to recover the body from the buried vehicle only after 24 hours.

The deceased driver was identified as Shuhrat Muminov, a resident of Durmanbuloq village, Varzob district.

Warning for drivers

Drivers are advised to avoid traveling on mountain roads unless absolutely necessary due to the ongoing avalanche risk.