In the night of 23 to 24 September at 23:21 in Almaty, the roof of the Palace of Students of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) partially collapsed. The building is under reconstruction, but what exactly was the immediate cause of the collapse has not yet been established.
WHAT WITNESSES REPORTED
Videos from the scene began circulating on social media. The footage shows damaged structures of the Palace of Students and construction debris. Residents of nearby houses reported a loud rumble and dust.
Publications also raised questions about whether the incident was connected to the reconstruction of the building.
WHAT KAZNU RESPONDED
Later, the press service of KazNU published a statement about the condition of the Palace of Students. The university confirmed that the facility is under reconstruction.
KazNU reported that construction of the building began in 1985 and was completed in 1998. For almost 30 years, the facility had not undergone major repairs or reconstruction, which, according to the university's assessment, led to the deterioration of building structures and engineering systems.
WHAT DEFECTS WERE FOUND IN THE BUILDING
A technical inspection conducted by an accredited organisation in 2023 revealed significant defects in the load-bearing structures. In particular, specialists recorded corrosion and partial destruction of columns, tilting of reinforced concrete columns at joints, disruptions in the connections between crossbars and columns, and sagging of individual crossbars.
In addition, the inspection revealed corrosion and local deformations of the metal roof structures. The university stated that most of these defects could not be identified visually without removing the finish.
WHY THE BUILDING IS BEING RECONSTRUCTED
KazNU also pointed to earthquakes that occurred in Almaty and the surrounding region in January 2024. The university noted that seismic activity could have had an additional impact on the building's structures, which had a long service life and already identified damage.
The university decided to preserve and restore the Palace of Students, given its historical and cultural value and significance as a venue for cultural and mass events. KazNU named the structural reliability of the building and the safety of students, staff and visitors as the main priority of the reconstruction.