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 points for displaced individuals and 104 stations to address sanitary issues. The execution of these relief operations will be overseen by local executive bodies in collaboration with the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ headquarters, ensuring an organized and effective response to the crisis.
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Alikhan Smailov underscored the significance of providing prompt alerts and explicit guidelines to citizens during such circumstances.
Meanwhile, at least three people were injured in China’s Xinjiang province, according to CGTN, a Beijing-based news channel. The Chinese Government dispatched a rescue and relief team to the area. Extensive damage is “probable,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey. “The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and log construction,” it said. There were no reports of damage to buildings in Almaty. Tremors were reported as far away as New Delhi.
