Park in Mall in Tashkent City Closed After Fire

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Ministry of Emergency Situations has suspended the operations of the Park in Mall family shopping and entertainment center located within the Tashkent City complex following a fire that occurred on 15 March.

According to a representative of the ministry, the fire broke out in one of the premises on the third floor of the building and, according to preliminary findings, was caused by a malfunction of electrical equipment. The emergency call was received at 13:18, and fire crews arrived at the scene within a minute, extinguishing the blaze in less than ten minutes. Senior officials of the ministry were present at the site.

No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, while the damaged area totaled about 25 square meters.

Authorities noted that renovation works were underway in the section where the fire started. The fourth floor of the building houses a food court and a children’s entertainment zone.

Videos circulating on social media showed smoke spreading across the floors while visitors, including families with children, were leaving the building. In the footage, no audible fire alarm signals or visible operation of an automatic fire suppression system could be observed.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, inspections revealed a number of deficiencies and violations in the building, including incomplete implementation of fire safety measures. Officials added that improper use of electrical wiring by tenants may have been one of the key factors that triggered the fire.

Due to the identified violations, the operation of the entire shopping and entertainment center has been temporarily suspended until all deficiencies are fully addressed.

Earlier, the Tashkent city emergency department reported that the Park in Mall complex had not yet been officially commissioned at the time of the incident. Despite this, shops, restaurants, a cinema, and a fitness center had been operating in the building for several months.