Authorities in the Aktobe Region are investigating the deaths of two heavy equipment drivers, a tragedy that occurred back in August. One of the deceased left behind a wife and four children, reports infohub.kz.
According to KTK television channel, a loader overturned in the steppe in late August. One of the deceased was 33-year-old Ruslan Tolepbergenov. He left behind a wife and four children. Now his relatives are demanding that those responsible for safety be held accountable.
August 23 will forever remain a black date for Aigerim Zharylgap. This year, she and her husband celebrated 10 years of marriage. Together they were raising four children. The youngest is not yet three years old. But family happiness was shattered by tragedy. Her husband, Ruslan Tolepbergenov, who was only 33, died after the loader operated by another man overturned.
"It happened at the end of summer. There was no ice or rain then. Why did the loader suddenly overturn? Perhaps the driver felt unwell. Or the equipment's brakes failed. Investigators found no skid marks at the scene. They could have used the bucket if they were rolling down a hill. We want the investigation to thoroughly examine everything," says Sarsenbay Adayev, a relative of the deceased.
The men's bodies were accidentally discovered in the steppe by a passerby. Ruslan's relatives still do not understand why he was in the loader. Officially, he worked as a roller driver. The family believes that negligence by the management of the enterprise where both deceased worked could have led to the tragedy. However, the labor inspection did not recognize this death as a work-related accident. Although it did find violations on the part of the employer.
"It happened outside working hours. It was established that the employer did not conduct pre-shift testing. Plus, there was no employer control, plus no accident insurance was provided," said Talgat Iskarin, deputy head of the Department of the Committee for State Labor Inspection in the Aktobe Region.
He also answered the question of whether it was a violation that a passenger was with the driver. According to him, the rules do not provide for carrying passengers. Meanwhile, police continue investigating the traffic accident.
Kazvodkhoz declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation, but stated they are ready to pay the family everything required by law. The family has appealed to the prosecutor's office and intends to seek reclassification of the case and challenge the labor inspectors' decision.