On 3 January, on the Astana-Shchuchinsk highway in the Akmola region between the villages of Kogam and Karatal, a mass road traffic accident occurred due to a severe blizzard and black ice, in which 95 vehicles were involved.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the incident happened after snow clearance and the resumption of traffic on the Astana-Shchuchinsk highway. At that point, the police decided to escort the convoy of vehicles with a patrol car.
According to the Instagram page «astana_sergek», the footage being circulated shows that the road was covered in ice, visibility was reduced by the blizzard, and the cars were driving in a convoy close to one another.
As a result of the accident, 21 people sought help from medical facilities, of whom 11 injured people were hospitalised.
It is reported that to clear the road and ensure traffic flow on the accident section, emergency rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations had to dismantle the central reservation barrier.
Chief specialist of the Emergency Response Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Magomed Akhriev, told journalists from «QOGAM news» that the cause of the mass accident was failure to observe the speed limit while driving in a convoy. He added that the internal affairs authorities had launched an investigation to determine the exact causes.
Meanwhile, a video is being circulated online showing one of the drivers, while moving in the convoy behind the wheel of a BMW, breaking the rules. It has become known that the incident occurred the day after the mass accident.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the driver repeatedly changed lanes within the convoy, creating a dangerous situation and putting other road users at risk.
The young man was detained and an administrative protocol was drawn up for violating overtaking and manoeuvring rules and causing a dangerous situation. The case materials have been sent to court.