178 natural disasters have been reported in Tajikistan over the first six months of this year, Rustam Nazarzoda the head of the Emergencies Committee under the Government of Tajikistan, told reporters in Dushanbe on July 23.

According to him, the natural disasters have left seven dead in the country: two were killed by avalanches in the Rasht district; four were killed by mudslides (two of them were killed by mudslides in Khatlon’s Khuroson district and two others were killed by mudslides in the Sughd province); and one person was killed by lightning strike in Khatlon’s Kushoniyon district.  

“The natural disasters (heavy snowfalls, torrential rains, avalanches, mudslides and landslides) have damaged 102 residential buildings (41 residential building have been destroyed completely), 22 schools and preschool institutions, about 25 kilometers of roads, six bridges, 15,634 kilometers of power transmission lines and more than 18.5 hectares of farmlands,” Nazarzoda said.

A total damage caused by the natural disasters to the country’s economy and population over the report period has been estimated at 51 million somoni, he added.