The director of the social development department of the mayor's office, Aizada Junusova, reported on an inspection conducted on March 18, 2025, during which employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations identified violations and issued a directive to improve safety conditions, including the installation of alarms and ensuring constant access to evacuation exits.
According to her, a 30-day period was allocated for the implementation of the specified requirements. A follow-up inspection on April 18 showed that all deficiencies had been addressed, and the institution complied with fire safety standards.
A representative of the Ministry of Emergency Situations noted that information about the fire was received at 19:00, and firefighters began extinguishing it just nine minutes later.
According to him, ten people were injured as a result of the fire, two of whom did not survive. The preliminary cause of the fire was a short circuit in the wiring in the room where the deceased were located. A forensic examination is underway, the results of which are not yet known.
The director of the institution, Baktygul Zhankoylieva, added that the investigation into this incident is being conducted by the police department of the First May district.
Alymbaeva also asked whether the alarm had gone off at the time of the fire.
Zhankoylieva responded that the alarm was in working order. "The fire occurred on a day off, January 6. The orderly informed the nurse about a suspicious smell and asked the staff to leave the premises. The nurse mentioned that they immediately began evacuation. The palliative care unit, where bedridden patients are located, is 400 meters away, and none of the staff remained in the main building to hear the alarm. The nurse called the fire service," she explained.
A deputy also asked whether the residents could have turned on heaters due to the low temperature in the building.Zhankoylieva replied: "After a stroke, they cannot move or speak, so it would have been physically impossible."
Alymbaeva noted that in an institution such as a nursing home, constant supervision and duty staff are necessary, and it seems as though the institution was left to its own devices. "There were not enough staff, and for this, responsibility must also be taken. People are there around the clock, which requires attention," she addressed the director.
In response, Junusova stated that all seven duty staff were in their places, which can be confirmed by video recordings showing how the employees were performing their duties.
Deputy Erjan Nasiraliyev agreed with Alymbaeva's opinion, noting that while no one wants to assign blame, moral responsibility must still be accepted.
