Blizzard causes 95-car pileup in Kazakhstan
A 95-car pileup occurred on Kazakhstan’s Astana-Petropavlovsk National Highway during a snowstorm on Friday, January 3, 2025, leaving at least 12 people injured.
Damaged car after the car pileup in Kazakhstan. Image credit: OazAvtoJol
At least 12 people were injured in a multi-vehicle pileup in Kazakstan on January 3. The incident happened on the Astana-Petropavlovsk National Highway near Zhantalap village at around 13:28 local time (LT) and involved 95 vehicles.
“Preliminary reports suggest the accident was caused by drivers failing to adhere to speed limits and maintain safe distances,” QazAvtoJol, the government agency overseeing Kazakhstan’s highways, stated on Telegram.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on Telegram that it assisted with rescues and evacuations, involving a total of 152 personnel and 68 units of equipment in the operations.
Around 71 people, including eight children, were evacuated to a staging area where they were provided with hot meals, according to the ministry. Additionally, 10 people were hospitalized.
The agency stated that all vehicles involved in the pileup were removed by 23:50 LT on Friday. “The aftermath of the accident has been addressed, and the damaged guardrail has been restored,” the agency added.
References:
1 A Dozen Injured in 100-Car Accident in Winter Weather in Kazakhstan – The Times of Central Asia – January 3, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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