Self-immolation at Almaty Airport: man in critical condition

Tengrinews.kz – Doctors have reported on the condition of the man who set himself on fire in the terminal of Almaty Airport on the evening of August 25.

According to the Almaty Public Health Department, the patient was taken by ambulance to City Clinical Hospital No. 4 and admitted to the intensive care unit.

“His condition is extremely serious. He is receiving full treatment in accordance with the Ministry of Healthcare’s clinical protocol,” the statement said.

What happened

On Monday evening, the man set himself on fire in Terminal T-1 of Almaty Airport. Police officers together with airport security staff immediately took safety measures: they extinguished the flames and called an ambulance. Doctors transported the victim to a city hospital.

A criminal case has been opened, and investigative actions are underway.

Later, a video of the incident surfaced. In the footage received by our editorial office, a man wearing a baseball cap and jacket can be seen standing at the ticket counter. Then flames erupt, he runs out and falls to the floor. Bystanders extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers.

Official police comment

The Transport Police Department told our editorial office that the man’s act was presumably motivated by a personal conflict with his common-law wife. All circumstances of the incident will be established during the pre-trial investigation, the department added.