Riots in Kazakhstan: 13 killed

The number of victims in the mass riots in Kazakhstan's Zhanaozen has grown to 13, officials said. The riots may spark in another town of the republic, Aktau, where a group of protesters gathered near the building of the regional administration.

Mass riots in the town of Zhanaozen, the Mangisrtausky region in the west of Kazakhstan, took place on Friday, Dec. 16. The protesters burned 46 buildings and several vehicles in the protests. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev declared a state of emergency and introduced a curfew in Zhanaozen.

"According to most recent information, 13 were killed and 86 were injured in the riots in Zhanaozen," officials told RIA Novosti.

In the meantime, a crowd of protesters gathered on the square of another town in Kazakhstan - Aktau, Interfax reports. Only 50-70 of them are the fired employees of a local oil mining enterprise, Karazhanbasmunai. The fired employees of this enterprise arranged the pogroms in Zhanaozen. All others are young people aged from 20 to 30, who came to the square to support their friends.

A wall of over 200 police officers is standing in front of the protesters. Camouflaged OMON officers are on duty on the square. Officials from the regional administrated attempted to negotiate with the protesters, although the sides failed to establish a constructive dialogue.