Three-Year-Old Child Dies in Fire at Aviator Mall in Tashkent

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A three-year-old child died in a major fire that broke out at the Aviator shopping and entertainment center in Tashkent on Saturday. The information was confirmed by Zukhriddin Kurbonov, press secretary of the Tashkent Department for Emergency Situations, during the Millar program on Milliy TV.

According to him, no information about other casualties has been reported so far. An investigation into the causes of the incident is currently under way, and CCTV footage is being reviewed.

The Emergency Situations Department confirmed that the seat of the fire was located on the second floor of the shopping and entertainment center, where food outlets and a children’s play area are situated. The Korzinka supermarket on the ground floor was not affected by the fire. Preliminary estimates put the damaged area at around 800 square meters.

A total of 12 standard fire engines, four special-purpose vehicles, and six water tankers were deployed to extinguish the fire. In the evening hours, around 200 personnel from various emergency and municipal services were working at the scene. Traffic at the road junction near the mall was temporarily closed.

It was noted that on weekends the shopping and entertainment center is traditionally crowded with families and children, and children’s parties and birthday celebrations are frequently held there.

Eyewitnesses interviewed by Gazeta said they were on the children’s play area when the fire started. According to them, the premises quickly filled with smoke and became dark, parents began frantically searching for their children, and people then rushed outside. Local residents also claim that the emergency exit on the second floor was usually kept closed.

Earlier reports stated that the emergency call was received at 15:47. The first fire crews arrived at the scene six minutes later, at 15:53. According to the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan, the fire was localized at 16:50 and fully extinguished at 17:17.