DUSHANBE, March 3, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Torrential rain on March 2-3 caused a number of avalanches that blocked in some places the highway from Dushanbe to Khujand on Tuesday morning.

According to the transportation safety directorate within the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), the avalanches occurred on the 69th, 71st, 73rd and 74th kilometers of the Dushanbe-Khujand road.  No casualties were reported, according to the source.  Bad weather conditions make work on clearing the highway of snow difficult.

Warmer temperatures have increased the risk of further avalanches in Tajikistan, where dozens of snow-slides have occurred in different mountain areas over the past several days, the source at a MoTC noted.