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3 Missing After Flash Floods In Kazakhstan
Residents of Qoyandy blocked a major road for hours, demanding that authorities declare a state of emergency in the region
Updated March 27, 2024
By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Three people are missing after floods caused by melting snow hit Kazakhstan's northeastern region of Abai.
Emergency officials said on March 27 that the two individuals went missing in the Ayagoz district after floods destroyed a bridge over a local river, the level of which jumped following massive floods caused by abrupt warm weather that melted enormous amounts of snow.
Earlier this week, another local resident went missing when trying to cross the river on horseback.
A state of emergency was announced in the district as emergency workers are now supervising the crossing of the river by local residents.
The floods also damaged several buildings in the region's other districts, as well as the local towns of Shar and Podkhoznoye, the authorities said.
On March 26, residents of Qoyandy village near Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, blocked a major road for hours, demanding that authorities declare a state of emergency in the region over the floods.
The protesters left the site after the authorities sent troops to the village.
The rapid melting of snow caused by a sudden spell of warm weather led to flash floods in the area near Astana overnight. According to emergency officials, 74 people, including 30 children, were evacuated from the area close to Qoyandy.
Also on March 26, local residents in the Central Asian nation's northwestern region of Aqtobe told RFE/RL that melting snow has caused floods in the region as well.
A resident of the town of Shubarqudyq told RFE/RL that it is the third March in a row that the region has faced floods caused by warm weather.
Last week, heavy rains and warm weather caused floods in neighboring Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, where residences in several parts of the city were inundated.
In another Central Asian country, Tajikistan, dozens of people and their livestock were evacuated from several villages due to mudslides caused by heavy rains. The Tajik Committee for Emergencies said on March 22 that water levels in some rivers jumped significantly, causing flooding in some areas.
Copyright © Mar 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 conncwsecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. http://www.rferl.org
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