An explosion at a major metallurgical facility in Kazakhstan has killed two people and injured five others, officials and the company involved have confirmed.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning (5 May) at a plant operated by Kazzinc in Oskemen, the country’s largest zinc production site. The company, owned by commodities giant Glencore, confirmed the fatalities and said those injured are receiving medical care.
“Two people were killed and five others were injured. All necessary medical assistance is being provided to the injured,” Kazzinc said in a statement.
According to preliminary findings, the blast occurred during routine maintenance work.
“A bang occurred while work was being carried out to clean the smoke extractor, followed by a fire and the partial collapse of the structure,” the company added.
Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene. Authorities said the fire sparked by the explosion has since been extinguished. Rescue and clean-up operations are ongoing, with crews continuing to secure the site.
A special commission has been established to determine the exact cause of the incident and assess whether safety procedures were followed.
An environmental review is also under way. Early indications suggest there was only a limited release of dust, with no hazardous pollution exceeding safety thresholds.
Kazzinc, one of Kazakhstan’s leading producers of zinc, as well as lead, copper, gold and silver, is partly owned by the state fund Samruk-Kazyna, which holds a 30 per cent stake.
The country’s Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, has taken personal control of the response, signalling the seriousness of the incident.
In its statement, Kazzinc expressed condolences to the families of those who died and pledged both financial and psychological support to those affected.
Industrial accidents remain a concern across parts of Central Asia’s heavy industry sector, where ageing infrastructure and challenging working conditions can pose risks despite ongoing modernisation efforts.
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