Criminal Case Opened in Uzbekistan over Fire at Aviator Shopping Center

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan has opened a criminal case in connection with the fire at the Aviator shopping center in the capital, the agency’s press service reported.

The investigation is being conducted under articles related to abuse of official authority and violations of fire safety regulations.

The fire broke out on January 31 on the second floor of the shopping center, where a children’s play area and a food court were located. According to Gazeta.uz, the fire alarm and automatic fire suppression systems on that floor failed to activate at the time of the incident.

Around 200 emergency responders and dozens of units of special equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire. Traffic in the vicinity of the shopping center was temporarily restricted while rescue and emergency operations were under way.

After firefighting efforts were completed, the body of a girl born in 2023 was found on the premises of the shopping complex.