Kazakhstan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Earthquake In Almaty: Residents Speak Of Panic And Damage

A magnitude seven earthquake shook Almaty last night, causing panic among local residents. However, some locals have said the situation was not as bad as it was portrayed on social media and in news reports. "They said it was a level seven magnitude earthquake, but my friend lives on the seventh floor and his furniture only wobbled, but nothing fell," Anastasia, a resident of the city told The Times of Central Asia. Despite the fact that numerous videos have appeared on the internet showing people in distress and buildings violently shaking, some have claimed that many of the videos are fakes, saying that the shaking was palpable, but did not reach levels that would cause widespread alarm. "The only thing that caused panic was a severe tremor in residential complexes that made the chandeliers wobble. My family and I drove into the city; traffic was crazy," Sanjar, a resident living on the outskirts of the city told The Times of Central Asia. Nevertheless, others spoke of feeling fear and anxiety during the earthquake, with another resident, Raushan telling The Times of Central Asia that "“Just after midnight we felt swaying and tremors, which was especially frightening considering we live on the 12th floor. First, the bed started to shake, and then I noticed the chandelier swinging violently. We quickly ran out of the apartment taking our passports and wallets. The worst part was that we were left with no communication as we had forgotten our phones, so we couldn’t contact our loved ones."

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Kazakhstan’s Top Five Tourist Sites Revealed

According to Kazakhstan’s National Bureau of Statistics, from January to September 2023 more than three million people visited domestic tourist sites, an increase of 344,000 people compared to the same period in 2022. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has named the top five tourist sites in Kazakhstan by visitor numbers. The Almaty mountain cluster was the most popular destination — over 1.7 million people visited this area from January to September last year. The western Mangystau region was in second place, with just under 300,000 people visiting this part of the country. In third place was the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye area (Burabay National Park) in the north of the country, with 243,000 visitors. The list also included two popular summer holiday destinations: the Alakol area (Abay region, in the south) with 204,000 visitors, and Lake Balkhash with 94,000 visitors. Deputy minister for tourism and sports Erzhan Erkinbayev commented: “Domestic resorts are increasingly popular not only among Kazakhstanis, but also among foreign guests. Unfortunately, the potential of some sites has not yet been fully realized. For example, in the Katon-Karagai national park [the largest national park in Kazakhstan, located in the East Kazakhstan region], the beauty of its nature is not inferior to any of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. However, only 7,800 people visited this place over the first nine months of last year,”

Central Asia Local Politics Business & Economy Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakh PM Reports On Country’s Economic Results For 2023

On January 22nd Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received the country's prime minister Alikhan Smailov, who reported on Kazakhstan’s economic results for 2023, the presidential press office reported. In 2023 the country's economic growth was 5.1%. Investments in fixed capital increased by 13.7%, to $39.5 billion, while over the first nine months of 2023 $19.7 billion of foreign direct investment was attracted. The number of people employed in small and medium-sized businesses increased by 14% (by 500,000) to 4.3 million people. Inflation was reduced twofold, down to 9.8%. Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover last year increased by 2.2% and amounted to $126 billion, with exports exceeding imports by $16 billion. Tokayev was informed that the government fulfilled all its social obligations. Pensions were indexed by 10.5%, and by another 9% since the beginning of this year. Payments to persons with disabilities increased by 23%. The prime minister reported on the implementation of the Unified Pool of Investment Projects. Last year, 298 projects were launched. In 2024 it is planned to implement another 326 projects, including 180 projects in the manufacturing industry, creating 15,000 new jobs.

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Earthquake related Fake News stirs concern among tense Almaty residents

In the wake of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, Almaty residents went to social media to share their experiences and see what is happening to others. Reported misinformation included a story about the destruction and casualties in KazNU dormitories as well as the destruction of the hostel. Authorities urged everyone to be calm. N.B. Atygayev, the Emergency Situations Department urged not to spread false information and trust only official sources.

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Magnitude 7 quake strikes China-Kyrgyzstan border area. Buildings evacuated in Kazakhstan’s biggest city.

At nine minutes past midnight local time on January 23rd, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 occurred near Almaty. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 65 km to the south-east of the city on the border between China and Kyrgyzstan. According to the Emergency Situations Department, the earthquake had a magnitude of 5 MSK in Almaty, and 2 MSK in Shymkent. Thirty minutes after the first earthquake struck, repeated tremors of a magnitude between 2-3 points were recorded. The quake was also felt in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and China. "Just after midnight we felt swaying and tremors, which was especially frightening considering we live on the 12th floor,” Raushan, an Almaty resident told the Times of Central Asia. “First the bed started to shake, and then I noticed the chandelier swinging violently. We quickly ran out of the apartment taking our passports and wallets. The worst part was that we were left with no communication as we had forgotten our phones, so we couldn’t contact our loved ones. After that, we went to help other residents, especially the disabled people who had a hard time getting down the stairs.” In his address, the head of the city's Emergency Situations Department, Nurlan Atygaev urged citizens not to panic, not to listen to rumors, and to stay on the street until they receive additional instructions. The south of Kazakhstan, including Almaty, is considered a seismically dangerous region. About 40,000 earthquakes have occurred in Kazakhstan over the past five years, indicating a high level of seismic activity, though according to a forecast by the Institute of Seismology of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan, the probability of a major earthquake in Almaty in 2023 was low. The last major earthquake occurred over a 100 years ago. As reported by the Almaty Akimat's press service, as of 17:00 on January 23rd, the earthquake led 67 people, 55 adults and 12 children, to seek medical assistance. Eight of these individuals (three adults and five children) were hospitalized, while the remaining patients underwent examinations and were released for outpatient treatment. Currently, three adults are receiving emergency hospital care, one of whom is in serious condition in the intensive care unit following surgery. Two other patients are in the traumatology and orthopedics department with moderate conditions. Four children - two infants aged six and seven months, along with children aged seven and sixteen years - are undergoing treatment at the Children's Urgent Care Center after suffering falls in their homes. One infant fell from their mother's arms, whilst the other fell from a crib. All of the children are in a stable, moderate condition, and are receiving treatment in the neurosurgery and traumatology departments. In the aftermath of the quake, Bekbolat Bugabaev, head of Almaty's emergency response department, announced a comprehensive disaster relief plan. This strategy will mobilize 55,000 personnel and 9,000 pieces of equipment from across the republic to assist in Almaty. Additionally, the city plans to establish 384 reception...

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Kazakhstan President Tokayev Makes First Visit to Vatican

During his visit to Italy last week, Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made his first official visit to the Holy See at the invitation of Pope Francis. During the meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on January 19th, Tokayev expressed gratitude to the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church for his tireless efforts to serve humanity around the world, Tokayev’s press service reported. “Your prayer for peace instilled aspiration and new hope not only in the hearts and minds of thousands of Catholics, but of many of our fellow citizens of other religions. Today, multiethnic and multiconfessional Kazakhstan, which has been historically located at the crossroads of various civilizations, is a proud home to the largest Catholic community in Central Asia,” said Tokayev. “We have managed to form our own model of peace and national dialogue, based on the principles of ‘unity-in-diversity’. People of various faiths have their places of worship in Kazakhstan. Fostering religious freedom is an integral part of my presidential agenda,” the Kazakh leader emphasized. Tokayev stressed that “We should all come together as one, despite our differences, in order to preach and practice peace, facilitate an ongoing dialogue across cultures and religions, and to drive forward development for the benefit of people of all faiths.” The Pontiff thanked Tokayev for his contribution to peace and harmony. The Kazakh president also met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The Holy See’s press office said that during the meetings with president Tokayev, appreciation was expressed for the good relations between the Holy See and Kazakhstan, with particular reference to mutual collaboration in the sphere of interreligious dialogue. Regional and international themes were also discussed, with special attention to conflicts and humanitarian issues. Pope Francis visited Kazakhstan in September 2022, when he took part in the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in Astana. This Congress is held in the Kazakh capital every three years, functioning as a permanent international interfaith platform for dialogue between religions.