12 Kazakh soldiers killed and 2 missing due to bad weather during naval exercises in the Caspian Sea

(Jakarta = Yonhap News) Correspondent Son Hyeon-gyu = 12 Kazakh soldiers died and 2 went missing due to bad weather during naval training along the Caspian Sea coast.

According to Reuters and dpa news agencies on the 25th (local time), 17 Kazakh soldiers who were training near Mangista Space on the Caspian Sea coast of western Kazakhstan the day before were swept away by waves.

Among them, 12 people died, 2 went missing, and the remaining 3 were rescued. Of the three rescued people, one was transported to the hospital.

Mangista Space authorities announced on social media, "During combat training, 17 (soldiers) were swept into the sea," and "We are searching to find the missing soldiers."

However, it is not known whether the ship was training at the time of the accident.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense dispatched an investigation team to the scene to investigate the circumstances of the accident and lead rescue efforts.

The Kazakh government explained that this accident was caused by sudden bad weather and strong winds.

The Kazakh President's Office said, "President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government committee to 'take all necessary measures to determine the circumstances of the accident.'"

President Tokayev also declared this day as a national mourning day, and Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed condolences to President Tokayev.