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Situation coming back to normal in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan

Communication, electricity, water and food supply have been fully restored

ASTANA, December 20 (Itar-Tass) —— Communication, electricity, water and food supply have been fully restored in the city of Zhanaozen, western Kazakhstan, where massive unrest took place on December 16, First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak Shukeyev, who is leading the government commission working in the region, reported from Zhanaozen by a telecommunication line to a government meeting on Tuesday.

According to his information, 570 million tenge (some 3.8 million dollars) were allocated for ensuring continuous food supply to Zhanaozen. “The problem of the supply of the city’s population with food and medicaments has been thoroughly studied. All the shops were opened and are working in a stable way. No food shortages have been registered. We did not register a growth of prices,” Shukeyev said. He said that the additional amount of meat was being delivered to the city with interruptions, but “the problem will be finally settled soon.”

”Heat, gas, electricity and water supply has been fully restored. Eleven life-support facilities in the city were provided with proper guarding on a round-the-clock basis,” Shukeyev continued. He said as well that telephone communication with the city had also been restored. Municipal transport and taxi are working in a normal regime.

According to Shukeyev, branches of banks, located in Zhanaozen, have enough cash for paying wages, scholarships and pensions. Ten out of twelve branches have already started functioning.

“All the social facilities, including schools and hospitals, are in a working condition and are functioning normally,” he said. School holidays were prolonged for five more days, “in order to avoid any incidents, because curfew is in effect in the city, and streets are being patrolled.”

Massive unrest took place in Zhanaozen on December 16. Fourteen people died, and dozens were wounded, 46 buildings were burned. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev imposed a state of emergency on the city on December 17. Curfew will be in effect in the city until January 5. Traffic has been restricted. Rallies have been banned. The making of photos and video films, as well as the use of Xerox equipment has also been restricted.