At the direction of the country’s leadership, the Presidential Administration’s Office for Monitoring the Implementation of Decisions of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers reviewed the death of 14-year-old Amir Kunakunov in Ala-Archa National Nature Park and the Emergency Situations Ministry’s organization of search-and-rescue operations.
At 19:02 on November 7, 2026, a teenager who had lost his way while descending in the mountains called the 112 emergency number for help. Rescuers found his body near Elektro Peak on November 9.
The review found serious shortcomings in emergency response, the timely transfer of information, coordination among rescue units and departmental oversight. Information about the incident had not been promptly passed to the relevant unit managers, and coordination between duty services and rescue teams was insufficient.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov issued a severe reprimand to Emergency Situations Minister Kanatbek Chynybaev. Cabinet Chairman Adylbek Kasymaliev dismissed Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Almazbek Asanov and Azis Egemberdiev, head of the ministry’s Crisis Management Centre. Tynarbek Murashov, head of the State Centre for Rescuer Training, was also dismissed.
The Military Prosecutor’s Office of Kyrgyzstan opened a criminal case on negligence. Investigators will examine the circumstances of the incident, whether measures to rescue the teenager were timely and sufficient, and the actions or inaction of responsible ministry officials.
The Emergency Situations Ministry was instructed to address the identified shortcomings, improve its emergency response system and ensure reliable communications in mountainous areas. It must also improve coordination among rescue units. The country’s leadership is overseeing these measures.
