Kazakh commission finds Aqtogai Milk fully liable for six worker deaths

September 2, 2026 at 11:01 AM2 min

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

A Kazakh government commission has found Aqtogai Milk fully liable for the deaths of six workers in a sewage well at a dairy farm in Pavlodar region on July 20. The commission determined that the employer failed to provide training, protective equipment, and safe work organization. Police have detained the company's general director and two others as part of a criminal investigation.

Key Facts

The government commission assigned 100% of the blame for the deaths to the employer, Aqtogai Milk, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
The six victims died from hydrogen sulfide exposure after descending into a sewage well on July 20 in the village of Zholaman, Aktogay district, Pavlodar region.
The commission found that workers were not trained in safe work practices for confined spaces and were not provided with necessary protective equipment.
Police detained Aqtogai Milk general director Alexander Terentyev and two other individuals as part of the pre-trial investigation.
The company paid 10 million tenge to each victim's family, assigned monthly payments to children, and allocated about 30 million tenge to repay loans.

Commission Findings

The special investigation into the deaths was completed in Pavlodar region, with the government commission determining the employer's degree of guilt at 100%, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection reported. The commission established that the six workers died from hydrogen sulfide exposure and that the employer failed to provide necessary training, protective equipment, and safe organization of work in the well. The organization of work in the well did not meet safety requirements, including provisions for emergency response, according to the commission. The commission also identified responsible officials within the company.

The Incident

On July 20, workers were repairing an electric pump malfunction in a sewage well on the territory of the farm in the village of Zholaman. One worker descended into the well and was poisoned by hydrogen sulfide; his colleagues descended one after another in an attempt to rescue him and also died. A total of six people died, including a father and his two sons aged 17 and 20. One survivor with poisoning was hospitalized.

Criminal Case and Compensation

Police detained Aqtogai Milk general director Alexander Terentyev and two other individuals as part of the pre-trial investigation. Terentyev is also a deputy of the Pavlodar regional maslikhat. The company paid 10 million tenge to each victim's family, assigned monthly payments to children, and allocated about 30 million tenge to repay loans. The company also promised to purchase apartments for the children of the deceased.