Four Kazakh servicemen die when fighting fire at army depot

Four people have died on the fire response mission at a military warehouse in the Jambyl Province, Kazakhstan that saw explosions on Thursday, Kazakh Defense Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev told a briefing on Friday.

"Unfortunately, four servicemen have died when dealing with the consequences," he said.

Emergencies Minister Yuri Ilyin told the briefing that several more people were being searched for as they were yet to make contact.

Yermekbayev also said that there were multiple versions of what had happened at the depot being studied. "We do not rule out various causes. It can be a safety guideline violation, self-ignition, chemical reaction, while a deliberate arson or sabotage are also not ruled out," he added.

A fire broke out near one of the military warehouses in the Jambyl Province on August 26 around 7 p.m. The blaze caused several explosions. The incident left 66 people injured, 28 of them are taken to hospital.