AKTOBE: A bus has caught fire in north-western Kazakhstan, killing 52 people, the interior ministry has said.
Five people managed to get out and were treated by rescue workers on the spot, reports said. The accident happened at 10:30 local time on Thursday (04:30 GMT) in the Irgiz district of Aktobe region.
The bus is thought to have been carrying Uzbek citizens to or from Russia along the Samara-Shymkent route, said local media.
The route, which is about 2,200km (1,300 miles) long, is frequently used by Uzbek migrant labourers travelling to construction sites in Russia, observers said.
The emergency services ministry told AFP news agency that 55 passengers and two drivers had been aboard the bus.
“Five passengers received medical assistance. The remainder were killed,” it said in a statement. But the causes of the deadly blaze are so far unclear.
Emergency officials have opened a telephone hotline for worried relatives. A local journalist, Askar Aktileu, posted a picture of the burned-out wreckage on his Instagram page.
Trending
- Ex AJK SCBA Chief Raja Inam accuses AJK PM Anwar-ul-Haq of giving peaceful rights movement a violent turn in the State
- Zardari’s decision to nominate Governors for both provinces is a great decision: Zahir Latif
- CGH organizes a walk on World Blood Pressure Day
- Threatening to Govt officers remained the same in KP by PTI leadership Mansehra
- Second French Alumni Day celebrated in Pakistan in May
- Govt seeks help from Federal govt vis a completion of remaining work and restoration of damaged infrastructure: PM AJK
- Ex AJK SCBA Chief Raja Inam accuses AJK PM Anwar-ul-Haq of giving peaceful rights movement a violent turn in the State:
- Role of Schools in Promoting Online Safety for Children