13:10

Nine Kazakh servicemen have died after being swept into the Caspian Sea during a military exercise in Mangystau Region.

Axar.az reports, citing Kazakh media, the incident occurred on September 24 as the Naval Forces of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces were conducting a training exercise along the Caspian coast. The servicemen were swept out to sea while carrying out training missions amid a sudden deterioration in weather conditions and strong winds.

According to preliminary information, 19 servicemen were swept into the sea. Nine have died, while three were rescued. One of those rescued was hospitalized. Search operations are underway for the remaining servicemen

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A government commission has been established in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of servicemen during military exercises.

The Kazakh government said the commission includes the defense minister, the akim (mayor) of Mangystau region, representatives of the ministries of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Emergency Situations, Healthcare and Transport, the chief military prosecutor, and representatives of the Border Service.

Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the commission’s chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, to travel to the scene and begin a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the servicemen’s deaths.

The commission was also instructed to provide assistance to the families of those who died.

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The number of military personnel killed in an incident in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region has risen to 12.

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The Government Commission, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, continues to work at the scene of the emergency.

Kanat Bozumbayev has ordered a continuous, round-the-clock search for the missing servicemen, with all necessary forces and resources mobilized. He also ordered that the families of the deceased servicemen be provided with the necessary financial and other assistance.