The fire at the Korkem-3 residential complex in Astana, which killed three children, was caused by child mischief, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations said. The criminal case was closed due to the absence of a criminal offense. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The statement was made by Ruslan Kairakbayev, deputy chairman of the Committee for Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, according to KTK.
The source of the fire was inside the apartment
According to Kairakbayev, the source of the fire was inside the apartment.
"The cause of the fire is child mischief. The fire came from inside," Kairakbayev said.
The results of the investigation became known almost six months after the incident.
When and where the fire occurred
Earlier, Kursiv reported that the fire occurred at night on April 12 in an apartment on the 15th floor of a 21-story building on Turkestan Street. Rescuers found the bodies of three children inside. Their mother was saved — the woman was hospitalized with burns.
Twenty people were evacuated from the upper floors, and about 40 more residents left the building on their own. Police opened a criminal case over the deaths of the children.
The entrance to the courtyard was blocked
The emergency situations department reported that the entrance to the courtyard was closed by metal gates, and the area was filled with cars. The entrance door of the apartment where the fire occurred had to be opened with special tools: it was closed with a metal structure with two locks.
Later, police held two drivers accountable whose cars blocked the passage of fire equipment. Initially, a Hyundai Elantra driver was reported, but an additional check showed that the ramp was blocked from both sides. A Toyota Camry driver was also punished for violating stopping and parking rules.
The mother's condition
On April 23, the Astana health department spoke about the mother's condition: she continued to receive intensive care in the intensive care unit. At that time, doctors noted positive dynamics.
Statement by the vice minister for emergency situations
On June 2, Vice Minister for Emergency Situations Yerbolat Sadyrbayev could not name the cause of the fire. At the same time, he denied reports that a ladder unsuitable for the height of the building had arrived and stated that the fire crew arrived in seven minutes, and the necessary equipment was in place.
Results of the investigation
Thus, the cause of the fire was recognized as child mischief, and the criminal case was closed due to the absence of a criminal offense. The results of the investigation were announced almost six months after the incident.