TAJIK EARTHQUAKE IMPACT LESS SEVERE THAN REPORTED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000004

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PHUM CACS TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK EARTHQUAKE IMPACT LESS SEVERE THAN REPORTED

DUSHANBE 00000004 001.2 OF 002



1. Summary: A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck eastern
Tajikistan on the morning of January 2. Embassy contacts and
others with direct knowledge of the area said a few hundred
households have been affected by the earthquake, far short of
the 20,000 figure widely reported in the international media.
An American working for an NGO in the region said there have
been no injuries or deaths. The government is not asking for
assistance at this time. The earthquake was not widely reported
in local media. Post will continue to provide information as
warranted. End summary.


2. A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck eastern Tajikistan at
7:15am local time on Saturday, January 2. The epicenter was
near the town of Vanj, in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region
(GBAO),80 km north of the regional capital Khorog and 235 km
east of Dushanbe, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Reports of Damage Exaggerated


3. Many initial reports in the international media, including
the Associated Press, cited estimates that 20,000 people were
"affected" by the earthquake. Preliminary information from
government and NGO sources indicates this figure is greatly
exaggerated. While precise details are still lacking, due to
the inaccessibility of the affected area (in part a normal
winter phenomenon),initial reports put numbers of persons
affected by the damage in the hundreds to low thousands. There
are no reports of human casualties, although some media have
reported several hundred livestock deaths.


4. The Tajik Committee for Emergency Situations has reported
that 66 houses have been "partly affected," and 12 have been
severely damaged. Affected residents have been moved to safe
locations. In addition, a number of administrative buildings,
including a hospital, music school, telecommunications office,
tax office, bank, and court, among others, have been damaged.
The Dushanbe-Khorog road has been blocked by landslides at two
locations, both in Vanj District: at the 439th kilometer (at
Tughak) and the 449th kilometer (at Khehak). Two kilometers of
telephone lines are also down. The government is reportedly
deploying an assessment team today consisting of specialists
from the Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology and
the Committee for Emergency Situations, along with a
representative from UNDP.


5. Other reports put the damage slightly higher, but still far
below international media reports. The International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reports that 98
homes have been fully damaged, leaving 622 people without
shelter. Of these, 583 have found temporary accommodation with
relatives, friends, and neighbors, while the remaining 39 are
currently sheltering in government buildings. An additional 921
homes, housing 6,215 people, have been partially damaged. The
affected households are in the district center (Rokharv) and
seven villages: Rog, Vskrog, Gushkhun, Panjshanbeobod, Bovud,
Argabad, and Chikok. FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance echoed the
government report of 66 affected households, distributed in five
of the seven villages noted above.

No Reported Injuries


6. No deaths or injuries have been reported from the earthquake.
Glen Hofecker, an American working in Khorog for the NGO Global
Partners, which has assisted victims of previous earthquakes in
GBAO, said residents in Khorog felt the earthquake strongly, but
there was no damage there. Hofecker, who is the spouse of one
of the Embassy's wardens in GBAO, said to the best of his
knowledge there were no Americans working in the region affected
by the earthquake. He said reports that there were no injuries
are credible. He was leaving for Vanj today for a two day
damage inspection trip. Little work can be done now in winter,
but Global Partners can help rebuild as necessary once the
weather improves. Hofecker and Global Partners helped Vanj
residents inspect their houses for damage as a result of an
earthquake last spring.

The Response


7. The Tajik Red Crescent Society has a stock of prepositioned
non-food items in Vanj district capable of providing for 25
families. Supplemental items will be transported from Khorog
and Dushanbe within the next few weeks. Government authorities
and NGOs are conducting additional assessments. For the moment
there is no request and no immediate need for USG assistance.
We will continue to monitor the situation, reporting if
circumstances change.

Press Guidance

DUSHANBE 00000004 002.2 OF 002




8. Embassy has prepared the following press guidance pertaining
to the earthquake:

-- On Saturday, January 2 at 7:15 a.m. local time an earthquake
of magnitude 5.3 struck Tajikistan near the town of Vanj in the
Pamir mountains.

-- According to the Tajik Government's Committee on Emergency
Services (CoES),66 houses were damaged, 12 severely damaged.
They are also reporting that several administrative buildings
and the roads heading to Dushanbe and Khorog have been affected.


-- The Tajik Government is mobilizing an assessment team
consisting of specialists from the Institute of Earthquake
Engineering and Seismology, GlavGeology and CoES from Dushanbe.

-- The government has not requested assistance. No fatalities
or injuries have been reported.

-- So far it is estimated that between 400 and 2300 people have
been displaced but have been housed in alternate accommodations.

GROSS