NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan, August 27 (Reuters) – Explosions triggered by a fire at a Kazakh ammunition depot have killed nine soldiers and firefighters and injured 90 others, Central Asian nation authorities said on Friday.
Four people remained missing, the government said.
It is unclear what caused the fire on Thursday at the military base in southern Zhambyl province, where engineering explosives were stored, Defense Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev said in a briefing. Read more
Soldiers and firefighters were killed while trying to put out the blaze that caused ten explosions, he added, saying the stored explosives came from a facility in the city of Arys after a similar event there in 2019 that kill four people.
Separately, Yermekbayev’s spokesmen said the minister was willing to resign after dealing with the aftermath of the accident. The final decision will be in the hands of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, he said.
Authorities evacuated hundreds of people from the nearby area and closed the main road linking the province with the largest city in Almaty.
Report by Tamara Vaal; Written by Olzhas Auyezov; Edited by Clarence Fernandez and Toby Chopra
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