A series of explosions at a military base in Kazakhstan has killed at least five servicemen and injured around 90 people.
According to a Reuters report, a fire at an ammunition’s depot in the province of Zhambyl triggered a chain of explosions.
In a press briefing, Kazakhstan Minister of Defense Nurlan Yermekbayev said that the soldiers lost their lives while trying to douse the fire.
The site reportedly stores engineering explosives.
Local authorities initiated mass evacuations from the nearby settlements following the incident. Separately, a road and a railway passing through the area were also closed.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the explosions.
Later, Minister Yermekbayev told a local radio channel that he has already tendered his resignation.
The Kazakhstan incident comes in the wake of a terrorist attack at Kabul airport in Afghanistan that killed at least 13 US soldiers.
Two blasts occurred near a gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday evening. Around 72 Afghans were also killed in the incident.
Initial investigations indicate that this was a suicide attack. Islamic State (ISIS) has already claimed responsibility for the blasts.
US Central Command general Frank McKenzie told Reuters that US troops are on alert as there may be more attacks on the airport, including the use of car bombs or rockets.
Currently, a massive evacuation effort is underway at the airport as the US aims to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of this month.
