Kazakhstan is in unrest. More than 160 people have died on Sunday and 6000 people have been arrested because of the riots in the nation. Central Asia’s largest country that houses a population of 19 million people has been rocked due to the upheaval, a large number of foreigners were also detained from the nation.
Around 164 people have been reported dead on Sunday and 103 were said to be from Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan. This was one of the fiercest clashes that took place between security forces and the protesters. The new figures are yet to be released but they are expected to push the death toll way higher than it is now. Official statements had previously stated that 26 armed criminals and 16 security officers had died in the riots that shook the nation. That statement quickly disappeared when the Health Ministry reported to the media that there had been an error in publishing.
It has not been reported clearly if the deaths are a reference for the civilians or if the law-enforcement deaths are also included in the figure that has been provided now. Kazakhstan’s ombudswoman for children has reported that there were three minors amongst the people that died including a four-year-old girl. The Ministry had also reported that more than 2200 people have sought medical treatments for injuries they suffered. The interior ministry stated that about 1300 security officers have also been injured as of now.
An official statement from the office of the Kazakhstan President said that around 5800 have been detained by the police personnel during the protests that have rocked the nation. It was also reported from the office that all the administrative buildings that were captured by the protesters have been taken over by the government. The troops from a Russian-led military alliance were seen guarding the key facilities now. The media also reported that sporadic gunfire was heard in the largest city of the nation. It is not yet clear yet whether the shots were warning shots fired by law enforcement. President Tokayev has said that he had authorized the police and military personnel to shoot to kill in order to restore peace in the country. The Almaty airport which was occupied by the protesters last week remained closed and is expected to resume operations on Monday.
The protests due to the sharp rise in the prices of LPG fuel have spread throughout the nation reflecting the disappointment of people in the decision. The President had also stated that terrorists with foreign backing had ignited the demonstrations. It is unfortunate that the energy-rich nation is engulfed in the fire of protests.
