On May 23, a powerful explosion followed by a fire occurred at a flour production facility owned by AsiaAgroFood JSC in the village of Zhibek Zholy (Almaty Region, Kazakhstan).
According to the regional Department for Emergency Situations (DES), the incident was caused by the ignition of a dust-air mixture of grain residues located on the first floor of a nine-story elevator building. As a result:
- One person was killed.
- Four employees sustained severe burns covering up to 90% of their bodies and are in critical condition in intensive care.
- The fire covered an area of 1,377 m².
- Over 100 emergency responders and 31 units of equipment were involved in firefighting efforts.
The company confirmed it would take full financial responsibility and is providing support to the injured and the family of the deceased.
This incident clearly demonstrates that the accumulation of combustible dust in industrial environments is a real and present danger. All it takes is a single spark or buildup of dust in an enclosed space to cause a disaster.
Facilities where flour, sugar, wood, or other organic dust is generated must ensure:
- regular cleaning of production areas;
- staff training in safe practices in explosive atmospheres;
- explosion hazard audits;
- implementation of explosion protection systems;
- compliance with ATEX and NFPA standards.
Protect your employees — timely implementation of explosion safety measures saves lives and prevents large-scale consequences.