Seven people have died and another 8 were injured in a gas explosion accident near Taldykorgan in Kazakhstan's south, Tengrinews reports citing the press office of the Almaty Oblast Department of Emergency Situations.



The explosion in a two-store apartment building in Yerkin village happened at midlight. Six adults and one child were killed in the accident.

At 12:01 am on November 30, a gas cylinder exploded causing the roof to collapse through the concrete ceiling of the 2-storey apartment building. The rescue team found seven dead bodies. 8 people were injured and 3 of them were children.

According to the police, five of the injured at still at the hospital, while the other three have been discharged after a medical checkup.

Other residents of the building that had 12 apartments were relocated to a safe place. The Department of Emergency Situations named mishandling gas appliances to be the preliminary cause of the explosion.

“Families of the deceased will receive $5500, while those injured will receive $2700 from the Oblast budget. In addition, the destroyed house will be fully restored. It will take over a month. Moreover, the Akimat (Municipal authorities) will cover all the expenses connected with the funerlas,” the press secretary of the Taldykorgan Akimat Galymurat Zhukel said.

While the house is being restored all the families will be temporarily living in dormitories of a local college.

The Interior Affairs Department of Taldykorgan initiated a criminal case over Violation of Fire Safety Rules. The Office of Investigations of the Interior Department of Almaty Oblast (Taldykorgan city is part of Almaty Oblast) is leading the investigation of the tragic accident.

Writing by Gyuzel Kamalova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina