Six Dead In Tajikistan Avalanches

Heavy snows are falling in the northern part of the country (RFE/RL) 30 December 2005 -- Tajikistan's Emergency Situations Ministry said today that six people have died in avalanches in the mountainous nation in the last week as heavy snows continue to fall in the northern part of the country.

Storm warnings have been in effect in Tajikistan since last week, but an avalanche in the northern Shakhristan district killed the six people on 27 December but heavy snows kept recovery teams from locating the bodies until yesterday.

The Emergency Situations Ministry again warned residents of northern regions about the dangers of avalanches and advised tourists to abstain from traveling to the northern mountains until after 5 January.

Avalanches are a regular problem in Tajikistan in the winter months. The country is more than 90 percent covered by mountains.

(ITAR-TASS)