NUR-SULTAN, August 27. /TASS/. The death toll in a series of ammo depot blasts in southern Kazakhstan has risen to five people, the press office of the republic’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.
A fire and subsequent blasts occurred at a military unit stationed in the Bayzak district of the Jambyl region at around 7:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. Moscow time) on August 26. The fire triggered more than 10 blasts. According to the latest data, around 90 people have been injured in the blasts and 28 of them have been hospitalized.
"Another serviceman of the military unit in the Jambyl Region where the fire occurred has been found dead," the statement says.
It was earlier reported that four people died in the blasts.
As the Defense Ministry of Kazakhstan reported, the head of the fire-fighting team, contract-enlisted master sergeant born in 1992 died in the fire and the blasts. He was in charge of the effort to extinguish the fire at the ammo depot.
"He died at the scene of the accident after a blast. He was among those servicemen whose location was unknown on the morning of August 27," the ministry said.
Fire-fighting teams and tracked fire engines have been engaged in the effort to extinguish the fire. They are being assisted by the teams of the Jambyl Region’s emergencies department. The authorities have organized the evacuation of residents from nearby communities. The military personnel have been evacuated to military units of the Jambyl Region.