Number of riot victims rises to 81 in Kyrgyzstan.

BISHKEK, April 11 (Itar-Tass) - The number of victims of mass rioting
that took place in the Kyrgyz capital on April 7-8, reached 81 people,
Itar-Tass learnt on Sunday at the Ministry of Health: two wounded people
died last night.
According to the latest data, the total number of people who turned
for medical aid over the past hours, topped 1,600; out of the total, some
500 were hospitalised. Now, clinics and hospitals have no shortage of
medicines, bandages and donor blood, although the situation was extremely
difficult over the first hours after the tragic events. There were so many
wounded people that they were placed even at polyclinics and wards of
maternity homes.
The Kyrgyz capital where the most dramatic events took place, is
gradually returning to normal. In actual fact, all municipal services are
now operating as usual, most foreign cash exchange joints, cafes and
shops, apart from those ransacked by looters, are open. According to
acting city mayor Isa Omurkulov, looters fully ransacked and sometimes
gutted 70 shops and shopping centres.
Acting National Bank chairman Zair Chokoyev promised that all
commercial banks in the country would restore their systems and start
operating by Monday. The National Bank hopes that payment terminals and
cash dispensers will resume their operations on Monday.
A decision was taken by the leadership of the Interior Ministry and
the Bishkek public at large to disband temporary volunteer people's teams
which replaced police during the most difficult hours for the capital and
stopped looting in many city districts.
In the meantime, the situation in Bishkek remains tense enough, since,
according to Interior Minister Bolot Sherniyazov, people had laid hands on
100 firearms during the disorders. Besides, supporters of the former power
periodically try to organise provocations. Sherniyazov promised to stop
short toughly any attempts at destabilising the situation and noted that
he permitted his officers to open fire on looters.
Representatives of various international organisations started coming
to the republic, offering aid. For instance a special envoy of the UN
secretary-general Jan Kubis assured that the Organisation was studying
Kyrgyzstan's requirements for humanitarian aid. Envoy of OSCE chairman,
Zhanybek Karibzhanov, did not preclude a chance that his organisation was
ready to act as a mediator between the conflicting Kyrgyz sides. He also
assured that the representatives of the Kyrgyz takeover government already
made attempts at starting talks with President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who is
forced to hide in the country's south after the disorders.
-0-bur/kud