On January 2, a rockfall occurred on the Dushanbe-Chanak highway near the village of Takfon in the Ayni district of Sughd province, damaging several vehicles.

According to an Instagram user who informed Asia-Plus, several cars were damaged, but fortunately, their drivers and passengers were unharmed.  Moreover, they personally cleared the road of stones.

The Branch of Innovative Road Solutions (IRS) Company in Tajikistan, which operates the toll on the Dushanbe-Chanak highway, confirmed the incident, reporting to Asia-Plus that it occurred at 12:30 PM at the 96th kilometer of the Dushanbe-Khujand highway.  They noted that the rockfall damaged two passenger cars, which were parked in a danger zone despite the risks.

“Employees and technical specialists of the company’s branch promptly arrived at the scene and eliminated the consequences of the natural disaster.  Thankfully, no one was injured,” the IRS reported.

The company thanked drivers and passengers who began clearing the road before the arrival of technical specialists.

It also emphasized that warnings about potential risks on this section of the road are regularly posted on the company’s social media pages. Drivers are urged to exercise caution, especially in rockfall-prone areas.

Additionally, the company reminded the public that one of the key rules on this road is the prohibition of stopping in hazardous areas: “Unfortunately, this warning is often ignored by drivers, which can lead to unfortunate consequences, as in this case.”

Previously, Tajikistan’s Agency for Hydrometeorology (Hydromet) had warned of potential risks of avalanches, icy roads, and rockfalls in the foothills and mountainous regions of Sughd province, including the Dushanbe-Chanak road.  Hydromet also reported that rain and snow are expected in these areas from January 2 to 5.