BISHKEK, August 29. /TASS/. The bodies of 14 Kyrgyz nationals, who died in the fire at a Moscow printing house on Saturday, were on Monday airlifted from Moscow to the city of Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan, a source from the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations said.
"The same plane to Osh carried members of a governmental commission led by Vice-Premier Gulmira Kudaiberdiyeva, as well as next-of-kin of the dead," the ministry said.
According to its source, the bodies of those who lived in southern Kyrgyzstan would be left there, after which "the plane will fly to Bishkek, to airlift the bodies of those nationals who lived in the Chuiskaya and Issyk-Kul regions".
The bodies will be then carried from the airports to their home settlements. "Earlier, republic’s President Almazbek Atambayev issued instructions to offer all necessary aid to the next-of-kin of the fire victims and allocate a special plane to airlift the bodies," the ministry’s source said.
Kyrgyzstan has declared a day of mourning after the fatal fire at a Moscow printing house claimed 14 lives of its nationals on Saturday.
The national flags were lowered to half-mast and all entertainment events were canceled on Monday following the decree signed by President Almazbek Atambayev. The mourning has been also announced for the loss of nine Kyrgyz citizens in a road traffic incident on the same day.
The president said this was "a grievous loss for all citizens" of the republic and ordered local authorities to provide the families of the victims with the necessary assistance.
On Monday, Moscow citizens are bringing flowers to the building of Kyrgyzstan’s embassy and express their condolences over the death of Kyrgyz citizens in the fire.
The fire at Moscow’s printing house claimed a total of 17 lives on August 27. Three of the dead were Russian citizens. Most victims of the fire were young women.