Criminal Case Opened Following Gas Explosion and Fire in Kokand Apartment Building

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A criminal case has been opened in the city of Kokand in Ferghana Region following a gas explosion in a multi-story residential building that claimed the life of a 19-year-old resident.

A report of a gas-air mixture ignition in a building in the Buston mahalla was received on 25 February at 14:47. The explosion was followed by a fire, which emergency response units promptly arrived to tackle and extinguished in the shortest possible time, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan reported.

The ministry subsequently confirmed that a body had been discovered under the rubble. According to the Investigative Department, the explosion and ensuing fire caused damage to several apartments.

The victim was identified as a 19-year-old resident of the building who sustained fatal injuries as a result of a concrete slab collapsing and died at the scene.

A criminal case has been opened under paragraph "a," part 2 of Article 259 of the Criminal Code — violation of fire safety rules resulting in the death of a person. Investigative measures are currently underway to establish the causes and circumstances of the incident.