Mass poisoning of students occurs at an elite school in Almaty

14 October 2026, 19:41·58·World

A case of mass poisoning of students was recorded at one of the prestigious and elite educational institutions in Almaty, Kazakhstan — the Republican Physics and Mathematics School (RPMS). Over the past few days, dozens of students have been hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute intestinal infection.

Following this emergency, the activities of the school and its affiliated boarding facility were temporarily suspended, and a criminal case was initiated by the police.

Scale of the incident: How many children were affected?

According to official information distributed by Zakon.kz, the main indicators of the situation are as follows:

Hospitalized: On October 12–14, 48 students of the school were admitted to the Almaty City Children's Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital;
In isolation: Several more students (according to reports, from 6 to 8) were isolated in the medical ward attached to the school boarding facility and placed under medical supervision;
Children's condition: The City Public Health Department and the school administration reported that the condition of all patients is stable, and no one requires intensive care.

Inspection conclusion: What shortcomings were found in the canteen?

The Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control and the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan conducted a comprehensive inspection at the scene:

Sanitary rules violated: A number of gross violations were found in the activities of Master Food LLC, which provides catering services for the canteen. In particular, product storage rules were not followed, and the procedure for taking daily samples of prepared meals was violated;
Products confiscated: Following the inspection results, dairy products lacking proper documentation were withdrawn from sale, and the distribution of certain dishes was officially banned;
Laboratory analyses: To find the exact source of the infection, swab samples were taken from water, food products, and kitchen staff.

Measures taken: Online education and a criminal case

To ensure safety and prevent the spread of the disease, immediate organizational measures were taken:

Transition to distance learning: For the safety of students, the school was switched to an online (distance) learning system from October 14 to October 16, and full disinfection work was carried out in the buildings;
Boarding school pupils: Students living in the school boarding facility were temporarily handed over to the care of their parents and close relatives;
Criminal case: The Almaty police initiated a criminal case over the fact of mass poisoning at the school, and legal measures against the guilty parties have been scheduled.

The situation is under the strict control of the relevant ministries and law enforcement agencies.