Court No. 2 in Uralsk has reviewed an unusual civil case involving a fire caused by a washing machine. As a result, the appliance store must pay over 13 million tenge to the victims, reports infohub.kz.
According to the Department of Trade and Consumer Protection for the West Kazakhstan Region, two women filed a lawsuit against a home appliance store. The case materials state that on August 17, 2025, one of them purchased a washing machine with a drying function from this store for 174,990 tenge. The appliance was installed in the kitchen of an apartment in a new building that had undergone major renovations. The second plaintiff lived in this apartment with her family.
On September 11 of the same year, a fire broke out in the apartment. A fire-technical examination determined that the fire's origin was inside the washing machine's casing. The cause was the ignition of wire insulation and polymer components of the electronic control unit due to an emergency operating mode.
The fire damaged both the apartment and the property inside it. According to the conclusion of the Center for Forensic Examinations of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the cost of restoration repairs amounted to 7,857,676 tenge. Additionally, the family was forced to rent housing for several months, which also formed part of the lawsuit. The plaintiffs also sought compensation for moral damages.
The defendant refused to voluntarily compensate for the damage, so the case went to court. On August 4, 2026, Court No. 2 in Uralsk ruled to partially satisfy the claim. The store was ordered to pay: restoration costs of 7,857,676 tenge, material expenses of 4,090,000 tenge, moral damages of 500,000 tenge, court fees of 87,580 tenge, and expert examination costs of 315,360 and 150,000 tenge. The total amount exceeded 13 million tenge.
The court decision has not yet entered into force; the defendant has the right to appeal it in accordance with the established procedure.