Massive landslide in Osh region, Kyrgyzstan
Featured image: Kurbu-Tash landslide, Kyrgyzstan April/May 2017. Credit: AKI Press
A massive landslide with the volume of 2.8 million m3 (98.8 million ft3) hit the Kurbu-Tash village on April 24, 2017, damaging 84.8 hectares (209 acres) of agricultural land.
As of May 13, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said, there are 56 engulfed houses, some 35 power poles and several social objects. There were no victims reported as the villagers have been earlier relocated.
As of today, there are still 61 houses, a school, a kindergarten, a rural health post and a mosque under the landslide threat.
This was a reactivation of a portion of a larger relict landslide complex, landslide expert Dr. Dave Petley said. "There are signs that this landslide is very actively retrogressing and enlarging," he said, adding that it is notable that this landslide is enlarging away from the main track of the slide.
"Unfortunately, there seems little to stop further retrogression, with devastating effects on the grassland landscape. Sadly the spate of landslides in Kyrgyzstan this year shows no sign of ceasing," Petley concluded pointing out to yet another major landslide in Kyrgyzstan on May 16.
Early Saturday morning, April 29, 2017, 24 people were killed after a very large landslide tore through a part of Ayu village in the country's southwest. According to local authorities, residents ignored official warnings. The slide covered six houses with people still inside, Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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