The mayor of the Maisky rural district of the Akzhar region, North Kazakhstan Region (NKR) Yerlan Smailov, has reportedly taken his own life. The circumstances of the incident are being clarified.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE INCIDENT
According to the Telegram channel «HALYQSTAN», the tragedy occurred on 18 May. The deceased is the mayor of the Maisky rural district of the Akzhar region, Yerlan Smailov.
He had held the position of mayor since 17 February 2026. Prior to his appointment, he worked as deputy director of Mayskoye-Agro LLP.
Official reasons for the incident were unknown at the time of publication. No data on possible circumstances or motives are available.
CONTEXT
This is not the first case of a rural mayor dying in recent times.
Earlier, on 6 May 2026, in the Aktobe region, the former mayor of the Kenkiyak rural district, Kuanyshbek Serikzhanov, was found dead. The day before, an order had been signed for his dismissal from the post.
Furthermore, in December 2025, the mayor of the town of Temir, Yerkin Dalmagambetov, died. According to preliminary data, this also involved suicide.