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An Italian climber has died and several others were injured during a descent from Peak Pobeda (Victory Peak), one of Kyrgyzstan’s three seven-thousanders, according to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense. The injured include citizens of Germany and Russia who were part of the same mountaineering group. The Ministry dispatched a Mi-8 military helicopter with six rescuers on board to reach the group. However, adverse weather forced the helicopter to make a hard landing near the climbers. All those on board survived, though several sustained injuries of varying severity. A second helicopter was later sent to continue the rescue operation. “The helicopter made a hard landing at high altitude under difficult weather conditions. The crew members and mountain rescuers involved in the evacuation were on board, and all of them survived. Specialists were sent to the scene to evacuate the injured,” the Defense Ministry told The Times of Central Asia. The injured rescuers and crew members were transported to a hospital in Karakol, where they are in stable condition. [caption id="attachment_35055" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Peak Pobeda; image: 韵升(Yunsheng) 白(Bai)[/caption] Due to worsening weather and nightfall, not all climbers could be evacuated immediately. Recovery efforts resumed the following day. A special commission has been formed to investigate the incident, identify the causes of the accident, and assess the technical condition of the aircraft. At 7,439 meters, Peak Pobeda is the highest point in the Tien Shan mountain range. Its eastern slopes lie within China. The routes to its summit are among the most technically challenging in the world, marked by steep ice faces, sudden gusts of wind, and extreme cold. Despite the risks, the area attracts dozens of climbers annually, drawn by its remoteness and the allure of unclimbed neighboring peaks.
In a dramatic scene recorded on video, emergency workers rescued a seven-year-old boy who had fallen into an empty well in eastern Uzbekistan on Friday. The responders were summoned after a homeowner’s son fell into a 40-meter-deep, 90-centimeter-diameter, waterless well in the yard of a house in Qurghontepa district in the Andijan region, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement. The ministry said on social media that, “as a result of rescue operations carried out using special equipment and tools, the child was safely pulled out of the well. The child is currently in good condition. He was taken to the hospital for a medical examination.” Video and photographs of the incident show several rescuers pulling on a rope at the edge of the well, and also show the boy being carried away and checked by a doctor. His face is blurred to mask his identity. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FVV-qutqaruvchilari-tomonidan-quduqqa-tushib-ketgan-7-yoshli-bola-qutqarildi-Bugun-16-may-kuni-soat-11-00-da-Andijon-viloyati-Qo‘rg‘ontepa-tumani-Ibn-Sino-MFY-Maktab-ko‘chasida-joylashgan-uylarning-biri-h.mp4"][/video] (Video courtesy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations)
Two Uzbek citizens have been rescued from a human trafficking network in Myanmar and returned home with the assistance of the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Bangkok. The victims, identified as M.S. and B.V., were lured by a fraudulent online job offer. Initially traveling to Thailand in search of legal employment, they were instead trafficked across the border into Myanmar, where they were handed over to a criminal organization. Once in Myanmar, the pair were forced to work in illegal centers and subjected to threats and physical abuse for refusing to engage in unlawful activities. The traffickers also demanded a large ransom for their release. Eight citizens of Kyrgyzstan and four citizens of Kazakhstan were discovered in the same situation. As Kyrgyzstan does not maintain an embassy in Thailand, Uzbek and Kazakh diplomats coordinated efforts to secure the release of all the victims. Thanks to joint negotiations with officials in Myanmar and Thailand, the victims were freed at the Mae Sot border crossing in Thailand. Uzbek and Kazakh diplomats provided them with temporary shelter and basic necessities upon arrival. On April 11, with support from their respective diplomatic missions, two Uzbek, four Kazakh, and seven Kyrgyz citizens returned to their home countries. One Kyrgyz citizen remained in Thailand to receive medical treatment and will be repatriated once their recovery is complete. The Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Bangkok highlighted the case as an example of effective regional cooperation in protecting citizens abroad. It also issued a warning about online job scams, urging people to verify the legitimacy of employment offers before traveling. The consulate reiterated its readiness to support Uzbek citizens seeking legal employment in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.
