Burabay court sentences three to prison over Shchuchinsk cafe blast that killed 12

September 7, 2026 at 01:09 PM2 min

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

A court in Burabay district sentenced three people to prison terms of six to seven years over a February 26 gas explosion at a cafe in Shchuchinsk that killed 12 and injured 11. The cafe owner and a gas station director received seven years each, while a gas cylinder supplier was sentenced to six years. The court also partially granted civil claims for moral damages from 16 victims.

Key Facts

The Burabay district court sentenced cafe owner M. and gas station director S. to seven years in prison each, and gas cylinder supplier D. to six years.
The explosion at the Shchuchinsk cafe on February 26, 2026, killed 12 people and injured 11.
The court found that the cafe owner repeatedly violated fire safety rules and used gas cylinders stored near heating radiators.
The court partially granted civil claims for moral damages from 16 victims.
The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

Court Verdict

The Burabay district court found all three defendants guilty in the case of the fatal gas explosion at a cafe in Shchuchinsk. Cafe owner M. and gas station director S. were each sentenced to seven years in prison, while gas cylinder supplier D. received six years. The court also partially satisfied civil claims for moral damages filed by 16 victims. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

Safety Violations

The court established that the cafe owner repeatedly violated fire safety requirements. Gas cylinders were stored near heating radiators, and employees had not undergone instruction on the use of gas equipment. Supplier D. delivered two gas cylinders to the cafe on February 25, 2026, despite lacking the right to sell and deliver gas. One of the cylinders was overfilled beyond the permitted amount and later exploded. At the gas station directed by S., household gas cylinders were systematically filled without the required documents, equipment, measuring instruments, or trained staff.

Explosion Circumstances

The explosion occurred on the evening of February 26, 2026, at a one-story cafe attached to a five-story residential building in Shchuchinsk. A gas-air mixture exploded and caused a fire; the moment of the explosion at the 'Center Plov' cafe was captured on video. The court found that a full gas cylinder standing near a heating radiator overheated, causing internal pressure to rise and the cylinder to explode. Initially, seven deaths were reported, including a 16-year-old girl; the death toll later rose to twelve.