When and where did the fire occur?
On February 21 at approximately 05:10, the Tashkent City Department for Emergency Situations received a report about a fire at the Izza construction market located in the Uchtepa district of the capital. The information was released by the city emergency press service (source).
How quickly did firefighters respond?
Emergency crews arrived at the scene within eight minutes of the alert and immediately began firefighting operations. The blaze was contained at 05:38, preventing further spread, and was fully extinguished by 06:00.
Was the leadership present at the scene?
Minister of Emergency Situations A. Ikramov personally arrived at the site and supervised the firefighting process, overseeing coordination efforts on the ground.
Were there any casualties or major losses?
At this time, no injuries have been reported. The fire affected approximately 200 square meters of the market area. Thanks to the оперативe actions of emergency personnel, around 2,000 square meters were successfully protected from damage.
What is known about the possible cause?
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire and assessing the extent of material damage. It was noted that on February 16, the market had undergone a fire safety inspection.
During that inspection, several violations were identified, and the market’s operations were suspended for three days. Although the administration submitted a written guarantee to the district emergency department promising to eliminate the deficiencies, the shortcomings were reportedly not fully resolved. This factor is being considered as one of the causes of the incident.