Four people died, one went missing as a result of a flood due to the burst of the Sardoba reservoir dam on May 1 in Syrdarya province, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at the government meeting on Tuesday.
In particular, two officers of the National Guard were carried away by a strong water stream during a rescue operation.
“I express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. The courage of our guys will become for all their colleagues and young people a model of dedicated service to the Motherland and our people,” the head of state said.
The President also noted that "people keep be calm, there should be no place for any speculation and rumors."
“At my request, the law enforcement authorities launched an objective, impartial and comprehensive investigation into the causes of the incident. I assure you that all those guilty, regardless of who they are and what position they hold, will answer before the law,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
“This flood was a bitter lesson for us. With the involvement of international experts, we will conduct a complex examination of the entire dam. Only then will we come to a final conclusion,” he continued.
All hydropower facilities, dams and hydroelectric power plants that may be subject to erosion due to heavy rains are currently being checked by state bodies, he added.
As a result of the disaster in Sardoba reservoir, some settlements in the neighboring Maktaaral district of the Turkestan province of Kazakhstan were also flooded.
“I and the President of Kazakhstan, the respected Kassym-Zhomart Tokaev, discussed this issue in a telephone conversation in the spirit of mutual understanding and openness. Yesterday, a delegation led by the governor of Turkestan region Umirzak Shukeyev visited the scene and studied the situation in detail,” the president said.
“For a long time, the Uzbeks and Kazakhs lived side by side, drank water from the same river, we are close as relatives. We always stood shoulder to shoulder and supported each other, both on bright days and during test periods. We are very sorry that this unexpected technological disaster caused so many troubles and caused damage not only to our population, but also to our neighbors, our brothers, whose villages and crops were also damaged,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The governments, ministries, departments and khokimiyats of both countries will closely cooperate in combating the consequences of the disaster.
“We also expressed our readiness to provide our Kazakhstani brothers with the necessary assistance in the aftermath of the disaster,” the head of state concluded.
