Shchuchinsk cafe owner sentenced to 7 years over blast that killed 12

September 7, 2026 at 01:17 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A court in Kazakhstan's Akmola region sentenced a cafe owner and a gas delivery worker to seven years in prison over a February explosion in Shchuchinsk that killed 12 people and injured 11. The director of Sherpol 2017 LLP, which filled the gas cylinders, received six years. The blast occurred after an overfilled cylinder stored near a heating radiator overheated and ruptured.

Key Facts

The explosion at a Shchuchinsk cafe in late February killed 12 people and injured 11 others.
The cafe owner and a gas delivery worker were each sentenced to seven years in prison, while the director of Sherpol 2017 LLP received six years.
The gas cylinder that exploded had been overfilled and was stored near a heating radiator, causing pressure to build until it ruptured.
The building owner suffered material damage of 19,250,112 tenge.
Civil claims for moral damages by 16 victims were partially satisfied by the court.

The Explosion

In late February, an explosion at a cafe in Shchuchinsk, Akmola region, killed 12 people and injured 11. The blast occurred when a gas cylinder stored near a heating radiator overheated, causing internal pressure to rise until the cylinder ruptured. The cylinder had been overfilled beyond the permitted amount, and the cafe lacked proper safety instructions for staff handling gas equipment. The resulting fire caused material damage to the building owner amounting to 19,250,112 tenge.

Court Sentences

The Burabay District Court sentenced the cafe owner and a gas delivery worker to seven years in prison each. The director of Sherpol 2017 LLP, which filled the cylinders without required documentation or trained staff, received a six-year sentence. The court partially satisfied civil claims for moral damages filed by 16 victims.

Safety Violations

The cafe owner failed to comply with safety requirements by storing gas cylinders near heating radiators and not providing instruction to employees. An unauthorized person delivered gas cylinders to the cafe, including two cylinders on February 25, one of which exploded on the day of the incident. Sherpol 2017 LLP regularly filled household gas cylinders despite lacking necessary documents, specialized equipment, and trained personnel.