In Aktobe, eight families continue to live in a two-story building that experts have deemed beyond repair. The brick cladding is peeling away from the walls, load-bearing structures are covered in cracks, and the electrical wiring constantly sparks, reports infohub.kz.
The building in question is No. 2 on Turgenev Street, constructed 62 years ago from wooden panels. According to residents, the building's condition worsens with every rain: new gaps appear in the walls, and the brickwork continues to crumble.
"Now the rain has started, and we're worried again that it will all come apart. With every rain, it peels off more and more. The windows are already warping. It would be one thing if a single brick just fell on its own – but it could bring the whole house down with it. It's very dangerous," said resident Alena Gumma.
In spring, after numerous appeals from the owners, specialists inspected the building. They found that the brick cladding had peeled off over roughly a third of its area. Cracks and displacement of certain sections were discovered in the load-bearing walls, and the building itself had settled.
Experts also found that some wooden structures had rotted. The roof is damaged almost entirely, so during rains water seeps into the entrances and apartments. An additional hazard is the worn-out electrical wiring, which residents say regularly sparks.
The technical report states that repair and restoration work on the building is impossible. The only option left is to rehouse the residents.
The Aktobe akimat confirmed that the building is officially recognized as dilapidated. However, no quick rehousing timeline has been given to the residents. In total, the city has 41 dilapidated buildings.
"Currently, there are 41 dilapidated buildings in Aktobe. Among them is Turgenev, 2. It has also been recognized as dilapidated. Work is underway on the building. We are preparing documents for requisition," said Asima Omarova, head of the sector at the housing inspection department of the Aktobe akimat.