The bodies of three Uzbek citizens who died in an explosion at a scrap metal plant in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region are being repatriated, according to Uzbek officials.
The deaths occurred on September 11 at the LGN Metal business in Baiserke village and local police have opened a criminal case for “violation of labor protection laws leading to death,” Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency said on Telegram on Saturday. It expressed condolences and said migration officers were helping the relatives of the dead.
“Constant cooperation has been established with the Kazakh side during the investigation process,” the agency said.
Officials have not yet announced the cause of the blast. Plant owner Amirbek Sherbaev said a Chinese company rents the site and that it was possible that military ordnance was mixed in with scrap metal that had been received there, according to KTK, a television channel in Kazakhstan. KTK said defense ministry officials had joined the inquiry.
