Kazakh president sacks minister for emergencies

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on June 10 signed a decree dismissing Emergency Situations Minister Yuri Ilyin from his post, the presidential press service said.

The dismissal from the post of Minister of Emergency Situations took place against the background of a large forest fire that has been raging for the second day in the east of the country,  Interfax reports.

The area of the blaze was 60,000 hectares.

According to the Emergencies Ministry, three forestry workers were killed and 11 others are being searched for.

Tokayev has cancelled a visit to Vietnam and plans to visit the region on Saturday to hold an operational meeting and take measures to help citizens affected by the disaster.