Border Service Soldier Dies in Almaty Region; Investigation Underway, Family Raises Questions

An 18-year-old private from the Border Service of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) died on October 5 in the medical support department of the Almaty Region Directorate, Orda.kz reports.

According to preliminary medical reports, the cause of death was meningococcemia. The soldier’s family questions the diagnosis and says they have been unable to retrieve the body from the Almaty morgue.

Nurasyl was born on December 16, 2006, and joined the army voluntarily. He was drafted from Qyzylorda on September 28. Just a week later, his family received news of his death.

Nurasyl was the youngest in the family. He went into the service willingly. He was in excellent health. Last night, October 4, he called his brother and kept repeating, ‘This place is not for people,’
said his sister Dinara.

During his conversation with his brother, Nurasyl admitted that army life was not what he had imagined.

We were notified this morning at 7:40. The ambulance arrived at 4:47, but he died before the paramedics arrived. We’ve been waiting for the body since 8:00 a.m.— it’s been five hours now, but it hasn’t arrived. They say there’s a problem with the paperwork,
 Dinara added.

While his sister was giving the interview, Nurasyl’s body was taken for examination. The autopsy is scheduled for October 6. Afterward, the National Security Committee will transport the body to Qyzylorda, where he will be buried.

Relatives insist that any health problems would have been detected during his medical examination before conscription.

A diagnosis like this takes at least 24 hours to manifest itself. It’s impossible to die so suddenly. On October 4, after 4 p.m., he was talking to his brother and sister, complaining that he was feeling down, but he didn’t complain about his health,
 Dinara said.

According to his family, Nurasyl was full of plans and wrote his dreams in a diary. If something went wrong, he would speak up rather than stay silent.

Earlier, the National Security Committee confirmed:

Preliminary medical findings cite meningococcemia — a severe form of meningococcal infection that enters the bloodstream and causes sepsis — as the cause of death. The illness progresses rapidly and poses a serious threat to life.

The Border Service reported that an internal investigation is underway, and police have opened pre-trial proceedings.

Original Author: Asem Zhauken