Kazakhstan President Proclaims National Day of Mourning for Abai Region Forest Fire Victims on June 12
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has declared June 12th a day of national mourning to honor the forest workers who have lost their lives while trying to extinguish wildfires in Kazakhstan’s Abai Region. The fire broke out in the Batpayev forestry on June 8 and quickly spread from the initial 2,000 hectares to 60,000 hectares. As of June 12th, efforts to put out the fire are continuing, involving 14 helicopters, approximately 1,500 people, and more than 300 equipment units from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, local executive bodies, and the Ministry of Defense. The fire has claimed 14 lives so far, and people in nearby settlements have been evacuated to the village of Borodulikha and the city of Semei.
President Tokayev canceled his trip to Vietnam and arrived in the Abai region for an emergency meeting on June 11th, where he met with the families and relatives of the forestry workers who died as a result of the fire to express his condolences and pledge his comprehensive support. He also dismissed Yuriy Ilyin as the Minister of Emergency Situations, reprimanded the region’s governor for failing to respond promptly to the disaster, and appointed Syrym Sharipkhanov as the new minister.
Tokayev instructed the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and other state bodies to take measures to implement a digital system for the early detection of fires. He stressed that wildfires are raging worldwide, and Kazakhstan has to be able to fight them, especially in forests since there are fewer than 4% of forest plantations in the country. The President posthumously awarded 14 forest workers for their courage and dedication while performing their duties and promised that the General Prosecutor’s Office would investigate this tragedy. “Those responsible will be held accountable,” he promised. He also assigned the government to bring the level of emergency response to the effective level to prevent similar threats that can arise again during the summer period.
