A tragedy unfolded in Kyrgyzstan, in many ways reminiscent of the story of 8-year-old Khizir Derbichev from Ingushetia. At that time, it would be an understatement to say that millions of people in the North Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asian countries followed the search for the boy with both anxiety and hope. Thousands of volunteers from the North Caucasus republics participated in the search operation. People from Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan also traveled to Ingushetia to support Khizir's family and offer their condolences.
On June 23, two families were vacationing in the Kegety Gorge in Kyrgyzstan's Chui Region. While the men parked their car on a slope and went off to find a place to rest, the car, with its remaining passengers, plunged down the slope and fell into a raging mountain river.
Two women and three children managed to escape, but a 12-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy were swept away by the current. By the evening of that same day, rescuers had discovered the girl's body, and the search for the boy continued for several more days.
From the very first hours, personnel from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Kyrgyz police were involved in the operation. Local residents, relatives of the family, and numerous volunteers also participated in the search. The search area was expanded tens of kilometers downstream.
The strong current, murky water, rocky riverbed, and inaccessible mountainous terrain seriously complicated the rescuers' work.
On Thursday, the number of people participating in the operation grew to several hundred. Volunteers from Kazakhstan arrived to help. Many began to draw parallels with the recent tragedy in Ingushetia, where thousands of people followed the search for Khizir Derbichev. And now, people from the Caucasus sincerely empathized with the Kyrgyz family, sharing their grief.
On the afternoon of June 26, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations announced the discovery of the six-year-old boy's body and the official conclusion of the search and rescue operation.
The tragedy resonated deeply far beyond Kyrgyzstan's borders. Residents of Kazakhstan, the North Caucasus republics, and other regions followed the events. On social media, people expressed support for the family and hope for a successful outcome.
This story was particularly poignant in the North Caucasus. Chechens, Ingush, and other repressed peoples share historical ties with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan: in 1943–1944, they were forcibly deported to these republics, where they spent 13 years.
