Rain storms have been flooding the south of Turkmenistan since 5 October.
Heavy rainfall has washed out roads, flooded farmland and vegetable gardens in the villages and caused mudslides in the Kopetdag mountains. Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that the villages of Yangala and Sekiz-yap in Geokdepe etrap were seriously affected and there has been communication service with the villages of Garrygala, Konekesir and Kiurudzhi.
The mudflows destroyed many household facilities, cattle pounds and chicken houses. Some houses are reported to be in a critical condition and the inhabitants were forced to move out to temporarily stay with relatives or neighbours.
No fatalities have been reported.
As of today no emergency measures to rescue residents or property are being undertaken by the authorities in the affected urban or rural areas.
It should be emphasized that the residents of rural areas located at the foothill of the mountains in Turkmenistan’s southern province are often affected by the mudflows which hit after rain storms.
However, no measures are undertaken by the authorities to carry out relief and rescue operations and local residents are not informed of the natural disaster.Local media outlets do not inform of or provide any coverage of the disaster.
Officials are reprimanded and dismissed only in case the capital is affected by a natural disaster.
For instance, in May 2018 rain storms flooded Ashgabat.
Two days later the President dismissed Deputy Defense Minister overseeing emergency situations lieutenant colonel Orazmammedov for “job-related shortcomings”.
Weather forecast for 7 October