Death toll from Tajikistan’s flood rises to 24 as country struggles to cope with devastation

Death toll from Tajikistan’s floods rises to 24

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — The death toll from mudslides and floods that devastated southern Tajikistan late last week has risen to 24 and could increase further, emergency and local residents said Monday.

Flash floods are an annual spring occurrence in this mountainous and poor Central Asian nation, but the scale of this year’s disaster caught authorities by surprise.

The Emergency Situations Commission said the floods have caused tens of millions of dollars in damage, destroying 10 schools, seven hospitals, 27 bridges and 112 miles (187 kilometers) of highway. At least 20 people are still missing.

Local residents say the number of casualties from the floods may be higher than the official tally as many have buried by relatives who didn’t tell authorities.

Thousands of hectares (acres) of grain and cotton fields have been ravaged by the flow of debris, which is a crushing blow for a country whose economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. More than 1,000 head of livestock were drowned.

President Emomali Rakhmon visited the worst-affected region, Kulob, over the weekend to inspect the scale of the damage and has promised to provide housing for affected people by this winter.