MOSCOW — A Kazakh military plane crashed on Tuesday in the southern part of Kazakhstan, killing 27 people, including the acting director of its border protection service, the authorities said.
The plane, an An-72, crashed around 7 p.m. about 12 miles from the city of Shymkent near the border with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan’s Committee for National Security said in a statement.
The fatalities included a crew of 7 and 20 border guards, including Col. Turganbek Stambekov, the acting head of the border protection service, the statement said. Without specifying further details, the authorities said an investigation had been opened. No cause was given, but southern Kazakhstan in recent weeks has been buffeted by winds, heavy snows and low temperatures, causing widespread flight delays.
Colonel Stambekov was appointed acting head of the border service in June, after a mass killing of 14 soldiers and a gamekeeper in a remote Kazakh outpost near China the month before. Vladislav Chelakh, a 20-year-old conscript, was sentenced earlier this month to life in prison after being found solely responsible for the killings.
The border service has come under close scrutiny in Kazakhstan since the killings, which many argued showed the lack of readiness and professionalism among the troops. Legislation approved Thursday by the upper house of Parliament and supported by Colonel Stambekov was designed to improve the process for selecting conscripts for the service.
Military Plane Crash in Kazakhstan Kills 27
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Military Plane Crash in Kazakhstan Kills 27
