First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has expressed condolences over the tragic deaths of Kazakh servicemen during exercises in the Caspian Sea. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the ex-president's official website, Nazarbayev received with deep sorrow the tragic news of the deaths of Armed Forces servicemen during military exercises in the Mangystau region.
"Sharing the bitterness of an irreparable loss, the first president expressed sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased," the statement said.
On the afternoon of September 24, the Naval Forces were carrying out a combat training task on the coast of the Caspian Sea. The weather sharply deteriorated, the wind intensified, and 17 servicemen were carried out into the open sea.
According to the Ministry of Defense, 12 people died. Three were rescued, one of whom was hospitalized. The search for two more soldiers continues.
The government commission to investigate the causes of the tragedy was headed by Kanat Bozumbayev. A criminal case was opened over the deaths of the servicemen. The Prosecutor General's Office took the investigation under special control.
Later, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared September 25 a day of mourning for the deceased servicemen.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that a criminal case had been opened over the deaths of the soldiers under Part 2 of Article 453 ("Negligent attitude to service resulting in grave consequences") and Article 465 ("Violation of navigation rules") of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan.