Firefighters Evacuate People from Burning High-Rise in Astana

A large fire broke out at a 26-storey building in Kazakhstan’s capital on Saturday, sending dense clouds of smoke billowing across the city. Firefighters evacuated people, including a three-month-old baby, from the Rixos Khan Shatyr Residences in Astana, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said. It posted photographs and video of firefighters escorting people into the street and using a crane and hose to extinguish the flames. Much of the blaze appeared to be on part of the building’s outer covering material. Built by Turkish company Sembol Construction, the building is on Turan Avenue and near the Khan Shatyr shopping and entertainment center, which has a distinctive cone-like structure. “Fully equipped apartments and high-level finishes, full range of services and infrastructure, as well as comfortable and spacious offices will be a hallmark of the project,” Sembol Construction said when the building project was underway. Eight people, including one child, were evacuated from the building. According to the official representative of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan Dinara Nurgalieva, there was no information about the severely injured. A firefighting headquarters has been set up at the scene, with firefighters continuing to extinguish not only the cladding of the building, but also working inside the complex. The causes of the fire have not yet been reported, and specialists continue to work at the scene.