Mudflow Damages Key International Bridge in Surkhandarya

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A mudflow in the Sariasiyo district of the Surkhandarya Region has seriously damaged a bridge over the Obizarang River, located at the 1449-kilometer mark of the M-41 "Bishkek — Dushanbe — Termez" international highway.

According to the press service of the regional khokimyat, the incident occurred on 21 June 2026 at approximately 20:30 due to a sharp deterioration in weather conditions in the mountainous area. Torrential rains triggered a critical rise in the water level.

Data from the Center of Hydrometeorological Services (Uzhydromet) shows that 60 millimeters of precipitation was recorded at the "Obizarang — Dashnabad" hydropost, while the water flow rate in the river reached 35 to 40 cubic meters per second at the peak of the mudflow activity.

The natural disaster disrupted the integrity of the structure, which is located in the border mahalla of Anorzor. Following an initial inspection, specialists from relevant agencies concluded that the extreme hydraulic load on the supporting elements, caused by the anomalous flow velocity, was the key cause of the span deformation.

The affected engineering facility was commissioned in 1977 and has a total length of 54.7 meters. The overpass performs a strategic logistical function, serving as one of the key transport arteries connecting the road systems of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Traffic intensity on this section normally averages between 600 and 800 vehicles per hour.

In order to prevent emergency situations and protect the lives of drivers and passengers, the regional leadership decided to introduce a temporary complete restriction on transit traffic across the damaged bridge.

Currently, all passenger and cargo traffic has been rerouted along an alternative bypass route passing through the internal mahallas of Dustlik, Yangi Yul, and Karashik in the neighboring Uzun district. An operational headquarters has been deployed at the scene, consisting of heads of the Surkhandarya Region administration, representatives of the Committee for Roads, and the country's leading bridge builders.

The working group is conducting a detailed instrumental analysis of the technical condition of the surviving structures and calculating the damage to prepare a project for the rapid restoration of interstate traffic. The khokimyat emphasized that the elimination of the consequences of the emergency is under special control.