Georgia saddened by deadly bus fire in Kazakhstan

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has conveyed his deep sorrow to Kazakhstan after a tragic bus fire that killed more than 25 people on Thursday morning.

Deeply saddened by the tragic bus fire in northwestern Kazakhstan that caused the death of Uzbek citizens. My condolences to the grieved family members and the brotherly people of #Uzbekistan.

— President Of Georgia (@MargvelashviliG) January 18, 2018

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry also expressed its "deepest condolences” to the families of the victims of the bus fire in Kazakhstan.

Horrific news regarding the bus fire in #Kazakhstan. #Georgia expresses deepest condolences to the families of victims and the Governments of #Kazakhstan and #Uzbekistan@MFA_KZ

— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) January 18, 2018

On Thursday morning a bus carrying 55 passengers and two drivers was travelling along a remote road in the northwestern Aktobe region when it burst into flames. As the Kazakh emergencies department said, only five people managed to escape.

The Kazakh Ministry for Investments and Development said that the bus did not have a license to transport passengers.

Citing Kazakh officials, Radio Free Europe said the passengers were migrant workers travelling to Russia.

A special commission to determine the cause of the fire has already been set up. Though an official report has yet to be released, the cause of the fire was most likely a short circuit.