12 Killed in House Fire in Kazakhstan

A devastating fire in the village of Algabas in Turkistan Province, southern Kazakhstan, claimed the lives of twelve people overnight, most of them children, according to the country’s National Emergency Department.

Fire crews were alerted to a blaze engulfing a two-storey private home in the early hours of the morning.

By the time responders arrived, the house had already been consumed by flames. Three unconscious survivors were pulled from the building and handed over to medical teams, while twelve bodies were later found inside, including nine children.

Local residents reported that a gathering had been held at the house the day before, with guests visiting the families living there. Kazakhstan’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Dinara Zakiyeva, stated that two families with their children were inside the home when the fire broke out and that the roof collapsed during the blaze.

According to regional medical services, three survivors – two adults and one child – were transported to hospital and remain in intensive care in serious but stable condition.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and instructed government officials and local authorities to provide full support and conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the tragedy.