Witness says Astana building had cracks since construction at paramedic death trial

September 2, 2026 at 11:17 AM3 min

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A resident of the Astana apartment building where paramedic Uldana Myrzuan was fatally injured testified in court that the structure had cracks from the start. Witness Valeria Samsonova, who has lived there since 2005, said the building was commissioned in 2004 and that facade problems were recurring. She said new cracks appeared about two weeks ago despite reinforcement work after the November 2025 incident.

Key Facts

Paramedic Uldana Myrzuan died on November 18, 2025, after an air conditioner unit fell from the building facade on November 8 while she was responding to a medical call.
Witness Valeria Samsonova has lived in the building on Tauelsizdik Street since 2005, and the building was commissioned in 2004.
After the November 2025 incident, the akimat carried out facade repairs and installed reinforcements at the second entrance in December-January.
About two weeks before the hearing, new cracks appeared in the corridor walls on the ninth floor, and previously installed monitoring beacons are breaking.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev posthumously awarded Uldana Myrzuan the 'Erligi Ushin' medal for exemplary performance of duty and selflessness.

Witness Testimony

Valeria Samsonova, a resident of the building on Tauelsizdik Street since 2005, testified that the building was commissioned in 2004 and had recurring roof and facade problems. She said she had previously sued Gulzhauhar Akhmetova, who managed the residential building for several years, over water leaking from the roof into her apartment. Samsonova stated that after the November 8, 2025 incident, the akimat helped by removing facade bricks and installing reinforcements at the second entrance in December-January. She said about two weeks before the hearing, cracks and lines appeared in the corridor walls, especially on the ninth floor, and the left facade is now bulging. According to Samsonova, the building should not have had air conditioners installed on the facade according to regulations.

Building Condition

A resident who has lived in the building since its construction testified that small cracks appeared in the walls initially, and residents were told this was normal settling for a new building. After the November 2025 incident, technical reinforcement work was carried out at the second entrance, with some facade bricks removed and the building additionally secured in December-January. The witness said about two weeks ago, corridor walls on the ninth floor began to crack severely, and wall separation is also visible on the technical floor. Special monitoring beacons have been installed, and they are gradually breaking as the cracks expand; cracks that previously extended from the ninth to the seventh floor are now going lower. Residents are sending letters to various state bodies, fearing that if facade bricks fall again, they could hit the children's playground.

Incident and Aftermath

Paramedic Uldana Myrzuan was fatally injured on November 8, 2025, when an air conditioner unit fell from the facade of a multi-story building while she was providing medical assistance to residents. Doctors fought for her life for several days, but she died in hospital on November 18, 2025. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev posthumously awarded Uldana Myrzuan the 'Erligi Ushin' medal for exemplary performance of duty, courage, and selflessness in difficult circumstances.