The fire occurred in a cable shaft of a building covering an area of 80 square meters, spreading from the 5th to the 16th floors.
Despite traffic congestion on Raiymbek Avenue, the fire brigade managed to arrive at the scene within 6 minutes, as reported by Sarbaz.kz.
During the firefighting operation, 200 people were evacuated, with 80 individuals rescued, 35 of whom were saved using rescue hoods.
"Four children are admitted into the intensive care unit, while another four, after receiving medical assistance, have been sent for outpatient treatment. The parents of three children have declined hospitalisation. Twelve adult patients were taken to city multi-profile hospitals, with five of them hospitalized, while the others, after receiving necessary emergency medical care, were sent for outpatient observation. The condition of the remaining patients is stable," – a statement from the city's health department reads.
After the fire, details emerged that complicated the evacuation of residents. During a meeting with the district governor, residents of the residential complex complained about locked fire exits. The Emergency Situations Department also reported on locked emergency doors and emphasized that access to the firefighting location was restricted due to parked private cars.
Regarding the Akkent fire incident, two criminal cases have been initiated - one for violating fire safety regulations and another for causing death, as stated by the Emergency Situations Department.
It is not the first time that parked private cars have hindered firefighting efforts. For instance, in May 2020, during the fire response at the “Gaukhartas” residential complex in Almaty, traffic congestion was so severe that tow trucks had to be utilised. A similar situation occurred in 2021 during the firefighting operation in the Kokmaisa micro-district of the Zhetysu district in Almaty.
