Eight people, including children, were injured in a severe crash in the North Kazakhstan Region, reports infohub.kz.

Video of the accident's aftermath surfaced on social media, showing the injured driver lying several meters from the vehicle, the engine thrown tens of meters away, and the cars reduced to a pile of metal.

Preliminary reports indicate that six children were in one of the vehicles. All were taken to the hospital with injuries of varying severity. The regional health department's press service said it would provide an update on their condition later.

According to the press service of the North Kazakhstan Police Department, the crash involving a Mazda and a Toyota Estima occurred on the Petropavlovsk–Kokshetau highway near the village of Astrakhanka in the Akkayin district.

"The driver of the Mazda and seven people from the Toyota Estima were taken to medical facilities," the regional police department said in a statement. "A criminal case has been opened. The circumstances of the incident are currently being established. A procedural decision will be made based on the results of the investigation."

Police reminded drivers to strictly adhere to speed limits, take road and weather conditions into account, avoid crossing into oncoming traffic, and remain extremely vigilant behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, residents of the region are discussing the fact that the accident once again involved a private carrier. People in North Kazakhstan have repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of intercity private transport booked through apps. They say taxi drivers often make multiple trips a day to earn more, significantly exceed speed limits, and get distracted by their phones.

In recent years, the region has seen several crashes involving such carriers. In April 2026, a specialized interdistrict criminal court in North Kazakhstan Region sentenced a driver whose negligence caused the death of a family of German citizens — a young woman, her father, and her husband. The 29-year-old man was driving a rented car and providing private rides through a mobile app. The court sentenced him to five years in prison with a seven-year driving ban, to be served in a minimum-security correctional facility.