Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs of Tashkent Region has opened a criminal case following the fire at the “Uch Kahramon” market, the agency’s press service reported.

The case was initiated under clause “b” of part 2 of Article 259 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan — violation of fire safety rules that caused other serious consequences, punishable by restriction of liberty for a term of 2 to 5 years or imprisonment for up to 5 years with deprivation of certain rights.

The total area of the trading premises of the “Uch Kahramon Specialized Trade Complex,” located in the Tashkent district, is 20,000 square meters. Thanks to the prompt actions of firefighters, shops covering approximately 12,000 square meters — or 60% of the entire market area — were saved from the fire. No injuries or fatalities were reported. Thus, the fire destroyed about 40% of the retail space.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the fire. Additional information will be provided after the conclusion of the investigation.

Recall that the fire occurred during the night of August 11. Firefighters battled the blaze for over two hours, with ten fire units involved in extinguishing the fire. Preliminary data indicate that the premises lacked fire protection systems, and the shops were stocked with highly flammable goods, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire throughout the market.