Elevator collapse in Astana residential complex leaves one dead, two injured

A tragic accident occurred in Astana when an elevator collapsed during maintenance work in the Arystan residential complex on Tulebaev Street, leaving one worker dead and two others injured.

Local authorities confirmed that of the 16 elevators installed in the building, only six had been officially commissioned, while the remaining ten were still unregistered, Caliber.Az reports, citing Kazakh media.

Residents reported long-standing issues with the elevators since the complex first became operational. “The elevators would get stuck, malfunction, and now—someone has died,” one resident said.

The Astana Department of Housing and Housing Inspection stated that the previous maintenance company, Ecolift, was replaced by Lift Stroy in September following numerous complaints from residents. However, mandatory safety checks and registration of the elevators had not yet been completed at the time of the incident.

Following the accident, authorities launched a criminal investigation and established a special commission comprising representatives from the police, labor inspection, and the housing authority to determine the cause of the collapse.

Reports indicate that the elevator fell on three maintenance workers, killing one at the scene and injuring two others. Residents further alleged that elevator malfunctions had been recurring since the building’s commissioning, claiming that “people often got stuck, and there were even cases of elevators falling.”

Residents also said that the elevators had failed safety inspections twice prior to the tragedy.

Local authorities confirmed the fatality, stating: “One employee of the elevator maintenance company died on site. Two others were transported to City Multidisciplinary Hospital No. 1. One patient is in moderate condition, while the other remains in serious condition. One is being treated in the intensive care and anesthesiology unit, and the other in the polytrauma department. Both are receiving all necessary medical care.”

The investigation into the circumstances of the elevator collapse is underway.

By Vafa Guliyeva