Firefighters Contain Massive Blaze at Alash Highway Market in Kazakhstan’s Astana

The Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry has said that a large fire that broke out at a three-storey market building on Alash Highway in the Baikonyr district on July 18 early morning was successfully localized.

Fire crews promptly established an operational command post at the scene and deployed extensive water resources to prevent further spread of the flames, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazakh media.

Over 100 firefighters and 60 fire engines from the Emergency Situations Department and local authorities were mobilized to tackle the blaze.

The ministry stated that the delay in reporting the fire contributed to its rapid spread and led to the partial collapse of an interfloor ceiling within the structure. There was also a risk of the fire reaching the adjacent Orda Market via a connecting passageway, but fire crews were able to contain it in time.

Efforts to fully extinguish the fire are ongoing, with firefighters facing difficulties due to the high level of combustible materials inside the building. The total area affected has yet to be assessed.

Deputy Head of Astana’s Emergency Situations Department Kanat Altynbekov confirmed that no casualties or injuries have been reported at this stage.