OREANDA-NEWS. The President of Kazakhstan has accepted the resignation of the head of the Ministry of Defense of the country, Nurlan Yermekbayev. The official decided to quit after an emergency at an ammunition depot. This was stated on his official Facebook page by the press secretary of the head of state Berik Uali.

As previously reported, the application was considered at the request of Yermekbayev himself after the explosions at the ammunition depot in the Zhambyl region. However, the final decision was made by the head of state.

In the Zhambyl region, a fire started in a warehouse with military ammunition, which contained up to 500 tons of TNT, which caused at least six explosions. According to the data provided by the regional administration, 66 victims were admitted to hospitals, including 12 military personnel. Upon the fact of the emergency, a criminal case was initiated on violation of the rules for handling weapons, as well as with substances and objects that pose a danger to others.