On March 6th, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek addressed the cracks found on the walls of several universities in Almaty post-earthquake. Nurbek stated that a thorough analysis of the buildings was conducted, revealing cracks in buildings such as KazNU named after al-Farabi, KazNPU named after Abay, Kazakh National Women's Pedagogical University (ZhPU), and several university dormitories.
Experts from urban planning departments conducted the analysis focusing on seismic stability. Nurbek reassured that no damage was found in the load-bearing structures, and while cracks were present, they did not pose significant risks. All students were promptly evacuated, and exams were postponed.
The minister mentioned that repairs would require minimal funding, which the universities will cover themselves. He emphasized that the damage was minor, with no structural harm reported, only minor issues like plaster falling off in some areas and ceilings collapsing in others.
Furthermore, on March 4, 2024, another earthquake hit Almaty, with strong tremors felt at 5 on the scale at 11:22. As a precaution, classes at the city's universities were canceled.
