Kazakh Deputy Environment Minister Zhomart Aliev said on January 10 that his ministry is involved in the investigation of the Rixos Aktau hotel, after the mass death of swans on the shores of Lake Qarakol in the western Manghystau region. According to Aliev, almost 830 swans have died in the lake in recent weeks, with lab tests revealing an abrupt rise of unspecified harmful substances in the lake's waters. The hotel is owned by Turkish businessman Fettah Tamince, long a close associate of Kazakhstan’s former president, Nursultan Nazarbaev. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here and here.
Kazakh Hotel Owned By Turkish Businessman Under Investigation Over Mass Death Of Swans
Almost 830 swans have reportedly died in Lake Qarakol in recent weeks, with lab tests revealing an abrupt rise of unspecified harmful substances in the lake's waters. (illustrative photo)