28 oil workers poisoned, 2 fatally in Zhanaozen

Mass poisoning of workers of Kezbi oil service company has been registered in Zhanaozen city of Mangystau oblast in western Kazakhstan, Iterfax-Kazakhstan reports. "On November 27 Healthcare Department of Mangystau Oblast received a message that (over two dozens of) oil workers with poisoning of unidentified ethiology were delivered to the hospital," Deputy Akim (Governor) of Mangistau Oblast Anuar Chuzhegulov said at the briefing on November 28. According to him, the total 28 people were hospitalized, two of them have died. 7 of them with mild poisonings are currently at Zhanaozen City Hospital, and the remaining 19 are in moderately grave condition at the Mangistau Oblast Hospital. "Several teams of toxicologists and epidemiologists were dispatched to Zhanaozen, and a plane with doctors arrived from Astana. A council of physicians is discussing the situation; Zhanaozen Akimat (Municipal Authorities) established a central office to deal with the problem. The cause of the poisoning is still being identified," he said. A criminal case was initiated against Kezbi company’s top managers over Article 267 Part 2 of the Kazakhstan Criminal Code (violation of sanitary and epidemiology rules that causes death for a person). Kezbi is an oil service company that overhauls oil and gas wells, makes drilling and exploration works on oil and gas fields. It focuses on drilling of onshore exploration and production oil and gas wells.