Earthquake in Almaty: officials sentenced over “stolen” alert system that failed to work

Tengrinews.kz – During the earthquake that struck Almaty on January 23, 2024, the city’s automated early warning system failed to activate. A subsequent investigation by the Almaty Prosecutor’s Office revealed that the system had never functioned properly — it was linked to a large-scale embezzlement scheme.
The investigation found violations in the procurement of the system for the city’s Department of Emergency Situations, uncovering evidence of misappropriated state funds.
According to prosecutors, the general director of TNS-INTEC LLP, acting out of personal gain, supplied substandard equipment and falsified work completion documents, embezzling public money on a large scale.
The Military Court of the Almaty Garrison has now delivered a verdict in the case.
Three deputy heads of the Almaty Department of Emergency Situations were convicted, along with representatives of design and technical oversight bodies, for negligence during the equipment’s acceptance and for failing to ensure proper quality control.

“All defendants were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment, with an additional ban on holding positions in government and quasi-state institutions,” the Prosecutor’s Office reported.

The earthquake occurred at 00:09 on January 23, and was strongly felt not only in Almaty but also in the Almaty and Zhetysu regions. Despite the tremors, no emergency alerts were issued through the “112” rescue service.
The following day, Majilis deputy Yerlan Barlybayev raised the issue in Parliament, criticizing the lack of alerts and public communication. He stated that “the absence of a functioning warning system and basic public awareness led to panic among residents,” noting that no instructions were broadcast on radio or television, and the National Data Center’s website was unavailable during the incident.