Landslide kills 24 in Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan.

Twenty four people, including nine children,are believed to have been killed when a landslide hit a village in the Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan on Saturday 29 April 2017. The landslip hit the village of Ayu in the Uzgen District at about 6.40 am local time, burying seven buildings beneath about a million cubic meters of mud and rubble. A further forty families living close to the area have been evacuated following the incident, and over 250 rescue workers are searching the area, but there is not thought to be any hope of recovering any of the victims alive.

The scene of the 29 April 2017 Ayu landslide. Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan/AFP.

The incident happened following several days of heavy rainfall in the area; landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Local authorities report that the village had been evacuated in March this year due to concerns about the stability of the hillslope, but people had begun to return to the area. The Uzgen District has a strongly seasonal climate, with a dry summer lasting from June to September, but high rainfall for most of the rest of the year. April is the wettest month, with rainfall typically exceeding 80 mm.

Wider view of the 29 April 2017 Ayu landslide. KABAR.

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