A bus carrying Uzbek citizens was burned in Kazakhstan, the owner was detained in Tashkent

The bus was burned. Image from Kazakhstan’s emergency department

The owner of a bus that burned in Kazakhstan in January 2018, in which 52 Uzbek citizens died, has been detained in Tashkent. Municipal Internal Affairs Bureau Tashkent. His initials are – OM (formerly ReportThe owner’s name is Ordukhan Mehdiyev).

A Kazakh citizen was previously charged under Article 348 of the country’s criminal code (“The person responsible for the technical condition of the vehicle carries out poor repairs or puts into operation a vehicle with technical defects, causing the death of two or more persons by negligence”), who evaded investigation and was placed on an international wanted list.

He is now expected to be extradited to Kazakhstan. No release date has been specified.

ACCIDENT On January 18, the bus accident occurred on a bus from the village of Zhibekzoli in Kazakhstan to the city of Kazan in Russia. There were 57 people in the cabin, including 3 drivers (Kazakh citizens) and 54 Uzbek citizens who were on their way to work. On the way, when the bus reached the Aktobe region, the diesel in the car froze. The driver was unable to start the car, so he decided to ask passers-by to tow the car away.

The temperature in the stopped bus was dropping; one of the drivers lit a blowtorch to keep warm. This caused a fire, and the bus soon caught fire, including because of the containers with fuel there (so as not to refuel at gas stations along the way). At the same time, the side door turned out to be prohibitedwhich prevented the evacuation. The bus burned within minutes, killing 52 passengers, while two passengers and three drivers survived.

It turned out that the bus had undergone a technical inspection several years ago. In addition, its owner did not have a regular passenger transport license.

In early November, Kazakhstan hosted court Regarding the accident. Three drivers were sentenced to five years in prison for alleged violations of vehicle operation and fire safety regulations. A mechanic and founder of a transport company was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for allegedly releasing a defective vehicle. They were also ordered to pay 100 million tenge (about $270,000) in compensation to the victims’ relatives, but the final amount was far less than the requested amount.

Buses are popular among migrant workers as a cheaper means of transport than planes or trains. Illegal carriers offer the lowest prices.

After the accident, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered the payment of relief funds to the families of the victims. admit The country’s leadership feels a certain amount of guilt that its citizens are forced to look for work abroad.

International news agency “Fergana”