Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations says it has not issued any appeals urging the public to stock up on food and water ahead of November 17, infohub.kz reports.
Social media and messaging apps have been buzzing with a "theory" that has spread worldwide, with posts urging people to stock up on supplies ahead of an alleged looming crisis. A post by user Wesleysimplic on the X messenger, in particular, has gained traction.
"The entire internet will be hit by hacker attacks, a so-called 'COVID 2.0' will begin, major banks will be hacked and all data will be completely destroyed. When thousands of accounts show '0' and it becomes impossible to restore the real balances, the network will be blocked. The global internet will be shut down for 3 months, and with the help of a super-advanced AI all vulnerabilities and errors will be eliminated, but this will cause mass panic and chaos. You need to stock up on food, water, gold, silver, weapons, ammunition and cash as soon as possible. The global shutdown will begin on November 17," the post says.
Similar or related messages are being discussed around the world, including in Kazakhstan.
An NUR.KZ correspondent sent a request to the press service of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations asking whether there are currently any threats or circumstances under which the population of Kazakhstan is advised to stockpile supplies.
"To date, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan has not issued official warnings about predicted threats or emergencies that would require the public to urgently stock up on food, water and medicines," the press service said.
The ministry noted, however, that pre-stocking essential items for three days (72 hours) is one of the recommended preparedness measures for the public. Such a kit can include drinking water, documents, cash, communications equipment and chargers, a flashlight and warm clothing.
Asked whether Kazakhstanis currently have grounds for concern, the ministry said it conducts round-the-clock monitoring of emergencies and oversees the protection of citizens' safety by the relevant government agencies.