Russian aid planes land in Uzbekistan
MOSCOW. June 19. KAZINFORM Two Russian planes carrying aid for Kyrgyz refugees in Uzbekistan landed on Saturday, an emergencies ministry spokesman said; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
The first Il-76 plane landed at 6:02 Moscow time (2:02 GMT), the second - at 6:29 GMT, the source said.
Some 100,000 people fled to Uzbekistan after deadly ethnic clashes in south Kyrgyzstan. Thousands more are waiting on the Kyrgyz side of the border.
Russia plans to send a total of three planes with almost 120 metric tons of cargo, such as tinned meat and fish, infant food, sugar, tents, blankets and utensils.
Violent clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek groups in southern Kyrgyzstan broke out in the city of Osh on June 11 and then spread to the neighboring Jalalabad region, leaving nearly 200 dead and more than 2,000 injured according to official figures. Kyrgyz leaders admit that the real death toll could be 10 times higher; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.
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