14 dead as search operation of Kazakh naval servicemen concludes

The search operation for the Kazakh Naval Forces servicemen swept out to sea concluded Friday morning after the bodies of two remaining victims were found, bringing the death toll to 14, the Kazakh Defense Ministry said, reported Xinhua.

A total of 17 service members were carried off by waves during a naval exercise on the Caspian coast in Kazakhstan's southwestern Mangystau region amid sharply deteriorating weather conditions, including intensifying winds, the ministry has said in a statement.

Three of those swept to sea have been rescued, and 12 soldiers were confirmed dead earlier, according to the ministry.

A criminal case has been opened over the incident, the country's Prosecutor General's Office said.

A nationwide day of mourning was declared in Kazakhstan on Friday, according to the presidential press service.