Kazakhstan forms commission to probe deadly Algabas house fire updated

A government commission has been established at the instruction of Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to investigate the deadly fire that broke out in a private home in the village of Algabas.

The commission will be led by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, Kazakh media reports via the country's cabinet of ministers.

Its members include senior officials from the ministries of Emergency Situations, Internal Affairs, Health, Labour and Social Protection, as well as representatives of the akimat (local government body -ed.) of the Turkestan region.

According to the government’s statement, all necessary support will be provided to the injured and to the families of those who lost their lives, including medical and psychological assistance. The akimat has also been tasked with helping organise the funerals of the victims.

Further decisions will be made once the investigation produces its findings.

The commission’s work will be conducted under special oversight.

9:22

Twelve people, including nine children, have died in a fire that broke out in a two-story private home in the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan.

According to Caliber.Az, citing Kazakh media, the regional Department of Emergency Situations (DChS) reported that a call was received regarding a fire in a two-story residential building in the village of Algabas, located in the Zhetysai district.

During reconnaissance and firefighting operations, emergency crews rescued three people from the house in an unconscious state and handed them over to ambulance workers. Inside the building, the bodies of twelve people were found, among them nine children.

The Emergency Situations Ministry added that, according to neighbors, guests had been in the house, as the owners had hosted an event the previous day. The ministry also reported that the fire covered a total area of 360 square meters.

“All emergency services are working at the scene. An investigation has been launched, and the causes of the fire are being determined,” the ministry emphasized.

Emergency services continue to work at the scene, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has also responded to the tragedy. According to presidential press secretary Ruslan Zheldibay, the head of state expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

“The government and the regional governor have been instructed to provide all necessary assistance to the immediate family and to investigate the causes of the tragedy,” Zheldibay stated.

In a related note, on October 30 an explosion occurred in an apartment building in the village of Shaulder in the Otyrar district of the Turkestan region. According to preliminary information, the blast was caused by an unauthorized connection to the gas supply system. Initially, it was reported that one person had been injured, but it became known several days later that the injured woman had died in the hospital.

By Tamilla Hasanova