2 yıl önce

Life returning to normal in Kazakhstan after deadly riots

The country's former capital Almaty had been nearly completely offline since Wednesday, but local and foreign websites were accessible again on Monday.

AFP

Life is turning back to normal in Almaty after the energy-rich nation of 19 million people was rocked by a week of upheaval with dozens killed.

The internet has returned to Kazakhstan's largest city after a five-day blackout as deadly clashes left dozens dead and the financial hub of 1.8 million people reeling.

Life was steadily returning to normal in Almaty on Monday, with public transport visible on the city's roads for the first time since the violence began.

Public transportation services have resumed to every 20 to 30 minutes and large chain markets are open for business, according to a statement by local military officials.

"Yesterday (Saturday), 28 branches of supermarkets were open in all parts of the city and 49 more branches opened today," it said.

Almaty, Kazakhstan's former capital, had been nearly completely offline since Wednesday, but local and foreign websites were accessible again Monday, which was declared a day of mourning following the worst unrest in the ex-Soviet republic's independent history.

Telephone operators also restarted their operations, while no gunshots were heard in the city.

Massive riots

Some 164 people lost their lives around the country, said Kazakh news channel Habar-24, citing the Central Asian country's Health Ministry.

The protests against an increase in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices turned into massive riots across Kazakhstan over the past week.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency in Almaty and the oil-rich Mangystau region, from where the protests spread to the rest of the country.