Akmola police rescue over 90 Uzbek, Tajik citizens stuck in vehicles
Citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were among the rescued.
On January 21, the police officers, who were on duty on the Astana-Petropavlovsk highway, were informed that a Van Hool passenger bus en-route from Petropavlovsk to Saryagash got stuck on the road. It turned out that diesel fuel reached its freezing point while the bus was on the road. In the bus, there were 43 people including two drivers from South Kazakhstan region and passengers, who are nationals of Uzbekistan.
"All the passengers and drivers were transported to a special heating station, which was organized in the building of a vocational school in Bozaigyr village, Shortandy district. They were provided with cooked meals and a place to stay overnight," the press service of the Department of Internal Affairs of Akmola region said.
Another 'frozen fuel' case was registered on the same highway. According to the police, a Hyundai Starex minivan carrying 10 passengers was going from Kokshetau to Astana amid biting cold. The police arrived at the scene in time and helped the passengers get to the point of their destination.
"On January 21, around 01:50 a.m. local highway patrol helped drivers and passengers of a Setra bus that was on its way from Merke to Tyumen. While passing by the town of Makinsk of Bulandy district, the bus's gearbox broke down, and the driver was forced to stop the vehicle. At that moment, there were two drivers and 55 passengers, citizens of Tajikistan, onboard. The police officers and rescuers evacuated the drivers and passengers to Makinsk, where they were accommodated," the department representative added.
Recall that because of severe frosts and temperature decline in Akmola region all roads remain closed for public transport. Officers of highway patrol work around the clock.
Earlier, on January 18, the bus accident in Aktobe region killed 52 people, Uzbek citizens, as the vehicle caught fire on highway.