Tyrnyauz streets cleared of mudflow consequences

Special equipment has finished clearing the streets of Tyrnyauz from the consequences of the mudflow; a mixture of mud and stones remains in small areas where work is being carried out manually. Repair work has also begun on the bridge across Gerkhozhan-Suu.

As reported by "Kavkazsky Uzel", on July 31 a powerful mudflow came down in Tyrnyauz, and residents of several microdistricts were left without water, electricity and gas. The authorities announced the evacuation of residents of several microdistricts. By August 2, due to the risk of a repeated mudflow, about 1,000 people were evacuated. By this date, about 3,000 residents of the city remained without water supply. A temporary bypass road across the Gerkhozhan-Suu River was put into operation in the city of Tyrnyauz in the Elbrus district for the movement of vehicles, which was difficult after the mudflows.

The streets and social facilities of the high-mountain city of Tyrnyauz in Kabardino-Balkaria have been completely cleared of mud and stone deposits, said the head of the city administration, Azamat Afashokov.

"Most of the deposits were on the central streets of our city. We began clearing them as soon as the weather conditions allowed. This painstaking work with the involvement of a large number of special equipment has been completely completed. Several small sections remain fragmentary, where the work will be completed manually," TASS quoted him as saying.

Kabardino-Balkaria's Head Kazbek Kokov reported that repair and restoration work has begun on the main federal bridge across the Gerkhozhan-Suu River. The under-bridge space of the regional bridge is also being cleared.

"We continue to work on projects to reconstruct the mudflow channel and the city's transport infrastructure," he reported on his Telegram channel.

Recall that on August 3, residents of Tyrnyauz said that the water supply to homes disrupted by the mudflow, contrary to government statements, had not been restored. The authorities managed to solve the technical problems of the mudflow channel in Tyrnyauz, and timely notification of the Ministry of Emergency Situations helped to avoid human casualties, however, new technologies for preventing natural disasters in Kabardino-Balkaria are not being implemented, experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated.

Back in 2018, geophysicists warned the authorities about the need for urgent repairs of the mudflow channel in Tyrnyauz and called for the organization of a warning system about the threat of mudflows. In June 2021, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that a 24-hour post had been set up on the Gerkhozhan-Su River to monitor possible mudflows.

In 2020, geophysicists spent two weeks surveying the Buzulgan landslide. During this time, the landslide moved down by 20 meters, its boundary was two kilometers from Tyrnyauz. To avoid catastrophic consequences, it is necessary to clear and reconstruct the mudflow channel, experts said at the time.