Landslide in Kyrgyzstan threatens to drown nuclear waste storage

A huge landslide which has blocked off a mountain river in Kyrgyzstan is now threatening to drown a storage of nuclear waste near the town of Maili-Suu, the ecology and emergencies ministry of Kyrgyzstan reported on Monday. According to the ministry officials, a tremendous landslide of some 500 mln cubic metres of mud has fallen into the Maili-Suu river blocking off its course near a Soviet-time nuclear waste storage. The motor road connecting the town of Maili-Suu with the district centre has also been blocked and a power transmission line has been broken. Emergencies Ministry officers are making efforts to prevent the river from overflowing its banks. Pouring rains, which have been going on in Kyrgyzstan for some six weeks this spring, have caused huge mountain torrents. Over the past two weeks alone landslides have destroyed a few villages in the Osha region sweeping some 200 private houses.