Landslide risk remains high, says official

With ongoing torrential rains and minor tremors across the country, Kyrgyzstan remains vulnerable to landslides and floods, emergency officials told IRIN on Wednesday. "The situation with regard to landslides has slightly stabilised compared to the spring, and landslide activity is going down. However, there are still landslides in both the south and north of the country," Emil Akmatov, a spokesman for the Kyrgyz Emergency Ministry, told IRIN from the capital, Bishkek. His comments came after a landslide on Friday in the northern district of Kemin blocked the Kemin-Shabdan road. The land mass of some 800 cubic metres cut off a number of villages in the area. No casualties or damage have been reported. According to the Emergency Ministry, some 42 people were killed by landslides in the mountainous country in the first five months of 2004 alone. In 2003, the number was 39. The ongoing landslides are caused by a number of factors, including torrential rains and frequent tremors. "We observe [ongoing] seismic activity and because of that there are landslides," Akmatov explained, adding that more than 3,000 tremors were registered in the country annually, of which a tenth could be felt. As for the aftermath of the landslide in Kemin district, the road has now been cleaned up and is passable once again, the official explained. He added, however, that landslides could strike again. "We cannot now say that it is over as they occur unexpectedly... The risk of landslides remains." The emergency official noted that, along with landslides, Kyrgyzstan was prone to floods caused by torrential rains. "There was a storm and flood risk warning on Monday and recent floods affected [southern] Batken and Kadamjay districts," he said, adding that in the southern Uzgen district water levels in rivers were increasing. "If in spring there are more landslides, in summer there are more floods," Akmatov said. The Central Asian region, including Kyrgyzstan, is prone to various natural disasters, including earthquakes, avalanches, landslides and floods.