Regional
Kazakhstan declares national mourning for wildfire victims June 12
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared June 12 a day of national mourning for people who died in a forest fire in Abai region, akipress reported.
“I declare this Monday a day of national mourning. We will mourn together with you, remembering the names of those who died. I urge you to stay strong and stay calm,” Tokayev said at a meeting with families of the victims as he arrived in Abai.
Tokayev expressed condolences to the families of the late forestry workers and stressed that this is “a great tragedy for all our people.”
A natural fire in Abai region in eastern Kazakhstan began on June 8. Its area is 60,000 hectares. More than 1,000 people and 252 units of equipment are involved in extinguishing the fires.
According to akipress Tokayev replaced the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations against the backdrop of the fires. 14 people died as a result of a fire, and five of them were identified.
