Kyrgyzstan emergency ministry comments on tourists stranded in Chatkan by flood

A group of 48 tourists, including 10 from Russia, are stranded in the Chatkan district of Kyrgyzstan's Jalal-Abad region after a flash flood washed out a crucial bridge access road. The incident occurred on July 3 in the Kara-Tokoy river valley.

Rescuers from the Chatkan district emergency department were deployed to the site, accompanied by heavy machinery. However, the rapid rise in the Kara-Tokoy River's water level prevented them from safely crossing to reach the stranded individuals on the high-altitude pastureland, known as a jailoo.

Local authorities have ensured that the tourists and local vacationers have received food supplies and have been moved to a safe location. Despite these efforts, a safe evacuation is currently impossible due to the ongoing high water levels. The road remains closed, and the tourists have been blocked from returning for three days.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan confirmed the situation, stating that efforts to evacuate the group are contingent on the river's water levels subsiding to a safe point.