Qaraganda Court Upholds Sentences in Kazakhstanskaya Mine Fire Case

The Qaraganda Regional Court has upheld the prison sentences handed down to four employees of the Kazakhstanskaya mine in connection with a 2023 fire that killed five miners, Orda.kz reports.

The convicted individuals include the deputy director of production, the head and deputy head of the conveyor transport section, and the deputy mechanic of the same section.

On February 25, the Shakhtinsk city court sentenced each of them to four years in prison for violating safety regulations during mining operations, which led to the deaths of multiple workers due to negligence.

Defense lawyers appealed the ruling, arguing the sentences were unjust. However, the regional appellate court upheld the initial verdict as lawful and appropriate.

The convicted, in the absence of a passport for the coal conveyor slope D6 horizon -170 position 2-bis, having visible deformations with a violation of the cross-section and integrity of the metal-arch support, did not take measures to stop the work,
 the court decision reads.

The defendants were found guilty of allowing the conveyor belt to be used in a fire-hazardous condition, failing to issue work orders for clearing spilled rock for an extended period, and failing to replace broken rollers.

All of this ultimately led to the tragedy.

The judges concluded that the blaze was the result of serious safety violations during a repair shift.

The August 17, 2023, fire claimed the lives of five miners and injured 17 others. The blaze took several months to extinguish fully. A total of 24 individuals—relatives of the deceased and injured miners — were officially recognized as victims in the case.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolaeva