Nine soldiers drown in the Caspian Sea during military exercise in Kazakhstan

A powerful wave swept 19 soldiers into the sea during a military exercise in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region, killing nine of them.

TodayPress TV reports that Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence provided the information.

The incident occurred on September 24 while the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan were conducting an exercise on the Caspian Sea coast. The soldiers were carrying out a combat-training task at the time.

According to the report, the incident occurred as weather conditions deteriorated sharply and winds intensified.

Preliminary information indicates that nine of the 19 soldiers died, while another three were rescued. The search for the remaining soldiers is ongoing.

Rescue forces and equipment were immediately deployed to the scene. Units of the Naval Forces, personnel from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, aviation and other relevant services are taking part in the search-and-rescue operation.

A commission from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence has been sent to the scene to determine all the circumstances of the incident and coordinate search-and-rescue efforts. The commission is headed by Defence Minister, Lieutenant General of Aviation Daulet Kosanov.