A preliminary cause has been established for the fire in the building of the regional akimat in Aktobe. According to specialists, the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in the electrical wiring. Experts are continuing their work at the scene, and final conclusions about the cause of the incident have not yet been presented.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE CAUSE
According to the Department for Emergency Situations (DES) of the Aktobe Region, specialists are considering the short circuit version as the main cause of the incident.
“The rapid spread of the fire was facilitated by the high combustible load on the roof — a wooden lathing. We are preliminarily citing the cause as a short circuit in the electrical wires. Experts are currently working at the scene,” said Yevgeny Ovcharsky, Deputy Head of the DES of the Aktobe Region.
The DES also reported that the last roof repair of the building was carried out in 2024.
CONDITION OF THE BUILDING AND CONSEQUENCES
As a result of the incident, several offices on the 6th floor were affected — the rooms were flooded with water during firefighting efforts.
Partial damage was also recorded on the 5th floor. However, according to Alibek Baineshev, Head of the Internal Policy Department of the Aktobe Region Akimat, the documentation was not damaged.
He also noted that conditions for working in the building remain in place. Civil servants are expected to return to their workplaces in the afternoon and continue working as normal. In total, more than 1,000 people work in the building.
CRIMINAL CASE AND LEGAL ASSESSMENT
A criminal case has been opened regarding the incident under Article 292 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (“Violation of fire safety requirements”).
Details of the investigation are not being disclosed.
It will be recalled that the fire in the building of the Aktobe Region Akimat occurred in the evening of 7 April. The fire engulfed the roof of the administrative building, and the area of the fire was 300 square metres. The fire was extinguished the same day, with no reports of casualties.