Court issues private ruling to Akmola region akim over Shchuchinsk cafe blast

September 7, 2026 at 03:22 PM2 min

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The Burabay District Court issued a private ruling to Akmola Region Akim Marat Akhmetzhanov after convicting three defendants in the Shchuchinsk cafe explosion that killed 12 people. The ruling cites insufficient fire prevention and interagency coordination over gas equipment at public catering facilities. The court sentenced the cafe manager and a gas station director to seven years in prison, and a gas delivery driver to six years.

Key Facts

The Burabay District Court issued a private ruling to Akmola Region Akim Marat Akhmetzhanov over the Shchuchinsk cafe explosion that killed 12 people and injured 11.
The cafe manager and the gas station director were each sentenced to seven years in prison, and the gas delivery driver to six years.
The court found that an overfilled gas cylinder stored near a heating radiator ruptured, causing the fire and explosion.
The property owner suffered material damage of more than 19.2 million tenge.
The court partially satisfied compensation claims from 16 victims for moral damages.

The Private Ruling

Judge Assel Ilyasova of the Burabay District Court announced the private ruling during sentencing in the high-profile Shchuchinsk cafe case. The ruling states that the court identified circumstances requiring separate response to eliminate the causes and conditions that contributed to the criminal offense. It calls for strengthened interaction between local executive bodies and territorial divisions of authorized state agencies to identify and promptly eliminate threats to citizens' lives and health. The ruling was sent to Akim Marat Akhmetzhanov for measures to address the causes and conditions that led to the tragedy.

Explosion Causes and Convictions

The court established that the cafe manager allowed gas cylinders to be used and stored near heating radiators and failed to organize worker safety briefings. A delivery driver without authorization to sell or transport gas brought two cylinders to the cafe on February 25, one of which was overfilled and later exploded. The gas station director systematically filled cylinders without required documentation, equipment, filling control instruments, or trained personnel. The overfilled cylinder stored near a radiator heated up, internal pressure rose, the cylinder wall ruptured, and a fire broke out, killing 12 people and injuring 11. The court sentenced the cafe manager and the gas station director to seven years in prison each, and the gas delivery driver to six years.