Tragedy in the Caspian Sea: 14 Kazakh soldiers die during exercise

Fourteen Kazakh soldiers have lost their lives in the Caspian Sea, following an incident during a naval exercise of the Naval Forces, while three others were rescued.

The incident occurred on September 24 in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region. The servicemen who lost their lives were born between 2005 and 2007.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense, the soldiers were disembarking from the military vessel “Kaisar” into water about one meter deep when they were swept into the open sea by strong winds and a sudden deterioration in weather conditions.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared September 25 a day of mourning and expressed condolences to the victims’ families. He also ordered the authorities to establish the circumstances of the incident.

The tragedy has brought attention back to another fatal incident during military exercises in the Caspian Sea. In 2015, four servicemen lost their lives during exercises near Aktau after strong winds and waves flooded four armored personnel carriers.

A government commission, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, has been working at the scene.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said investigators have inspected the scene, questioned more than 30 military personnel and seized documents and video footage.

According to preliminary findings, suspected officials did not take the necessary measures to guarantee personnel safety as weather conditions were deteriorating.