Death of Amir Kunakunov: three Emergencies Ministry officials sacked, criminal case opened

Following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of 14-year-old Amir Kunakunov in the mountains of the Ala-Archa National Park, three officials of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Kyrgyz Republic have been relieved of their posts, and Minister Kanatbek Chynybaev has received a severe reprimand. The inspection revealed serious shortcomings in the organization of the search and rescue operation. In addition, the Military Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case on the fact of negligence, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic reported.

The inspection was carried out by the Department of Control over the Implementation of Decisions of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers upon the instructions of the country's leadership.

As the commission established, Emergencies Ministry employees untimely transmitted information about the incident to the heads of relevant departments. Shortcomings were also identified in the interaction between duty services and rescue groups, the organization of searches, and departmental control.

Who was dismissed from office

Following the inspection, the authorities took the following personnel and disciplinary decisions:

• Kanatbek Chynybaev, Minister of Emergencies, received a severe reprimand by decision of President Sadyr Japarov for serious shortcomings in the work of subordinate units and insufficient departmental control.
• Almazbek Asanov, Deputy Minister of Emergencies, was relieved of his post by decision of Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev.
• Azis Egemberdiev, Head of the Crisis Management Center of the Ministry of Emergencies, was also dismissed from his post by decision of the head of government.
• Tynarbek Murashov, Head of the State Center for Rescuers Training of the Ministry of Emergencies, was relieved of his occupied post.

Earlier, Economist.kg reported on the severe reprimand issued to Kanatbek Chynybaev. The initial statement from the presidential administration did not contain the reasons for the penalty. Now the authorities have officially confirmed that the decision is connected with shortcomings identified during the investigation into the circumstances of the teenager's death.

What happened in Ala-Archa

On November 7, 2026 at 19:02, a call was received at the single emergency services number 112 from 14-year-old Amir Kunakunov. The teenager reported that he had lost his bearings while descending in the mountains and asked rescuers for help.

The search and rescue operation lasted for more than two days. On November 9, the boy's body was found in the area of Elektro Peak.

Following the tragedy, Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev instructed to check the actions of the Ministry of Emergencies, including the timeliness of receiving and transmitting the distress signal, the coordination of search groups, and the use of technical and human resources.

The inspection revealed serious organizational violations, including delays in the transmission of information and insufficient interaction between units.

Military Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case

In addition to personnel decisions, the authorities announced the opening of a criminal case on the fact of negligence.

The Military Prosecutor's Office will examine the circumstances of the incident, the timeliness and completeness of measures taken to rescue the teenager, as well as the actions and inaction of responsible officials of the Ministry of Emergencies.

Following the investigation, law enforcement agencies must give a legal assessment of the actions of officials.

At the same time, the Ministry of Emergencies was instructed to eliminate the identified shortcomings. The department must improve the operational response system, ensure stable communications in mountainous terrain, establish interaction between rescue units, and ensure the timely involvement of additional forces in the event of a threat to human life.

The execution of these instructions is under the special control of the country's leadership, the Cabinet of Ministers emphasized.