Tajik officials say mudslides triggered by heavy rains have killed nine people in the west of the country.
The Committee for Emergency Situations said in a statement on May 12 that the mudslides killed eight residents of the Khatlon region's city of Kulob, as well as in the districts of Shamsiddin Shohin, Vakhsh, and Kushoniyon.
It said one person also died in the city of Hisor, about 15 kilometers west of the capital, Dushanbe.
The mudslides hit the area on May 11, damaging many homes, bridges, and other infrastructure, as well as public administration buildings, according to the statement.
It warned that more rains are expected in the region on May 14, and asked residents not to drive vehicles on mountainous roads.
Some residents of the affected towns and villages in Khatlon region complained to RFE/RL that the authorities failed to provide them with shelters and other assistance.
Mountains cover 93 percent of Tajikistan's territory, and mudslides and avalanches kill dozens of people every year.
