Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The “Uch Kahramon” market will reopen on 17 August after a major fire, the press center of the Tashkent Regional Hokimiyat reported.

For the 165 entrepreneurs affected by the incident, 63 vacant shops have been allocated. Another 125 business owners were exempted from paying rent for two months. In 56 trading spaces of 12 sq. m each, 112 entrepreneurs were accommodated; in two shops of 24 sq. m each, eight people; and in five stalls of 9 sq. m, five owners. Eight entrepreneurs declined the offered assistance, deciding to cease operations, while four others intended to purchase a shop but did not submit applications.

On 14 August, during a meeting with the Hokim of Tashkent Region, Zoir Mirzaev, business owners were informed that the future of the market would be determined by the Tashkent Metro, which owns the land. According to plans, construction of an infrastructure facility necessary for the metro is scheduled to begin on the site in March 2026. Mirzaev conveyed a telephone message from Rakhmonbek Usmanov, head of the capital’s metro, to the entrepreneurs.

From 15 August, affected business owners began moving into the surviving part of the market, and on the reopening day, Zoir Mirzaev promised to personally meet with each tenant. Representatives of the entrepreneurial community will oversee the fair allocation of vacant spaces.

Tashkent Regional Prosecutor Azamat Mirzaev reported that a group of 40 investigators has been formed to determine the circumstances of the fire and provide a legal assessment of the situation. On-site investigative actions and operational inquiries are being conducted at the market.

According to the Hokimiyat’s press service, the damage from the fire is estimated at approximately 74 billion soums ($5.88 million at the Central Bank rate). The blaze, which covered an area of 8,000 sq. m, was facilitated by violations of fire safety rules by the responsible officials of LLC “Uch Kahramon Specialized Trade Complex.” The investigative department of the Tashkent District Internal Affairs Directorate initiated a criminal case under Article 259, Part 2, Paragraph “b” of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan — violation of fire safety regulations. The case materials have been forwarded to the Investigation Department of the Tashkent Regional Main Internal Affairs Directorate.

Preliminary findings indicate that the fire was caused by an electrical wiring failure (overload, increased transient resistance) between the first and second shops to the right of the market entrance. To accurately determine the cause, specialists from the Kh. Sulaymanova Republican Forensic Center, the Academy of Fire Safety, and other agencies inspected the site and commissioned a comprehensive forensic examination of the seized evidence.

In total, 137 entrepreneurs were affected by the fire, with 181 trading points and 76 vacant shops damaged. By blocks:

— Block A — 78 entrepreneurs (106 shops)
— Block C — 11 entrepreneurs (19 shops)
— Block E — 48 entrepreneurs (56 shops)

The fire damaged nearly half of the operating shops — 257 out of 567 (over 45%). The market has more than 900 trading points in total.

The fire broke out during the night of August 11. The Ministry of Emergency Situations received the report at 02:22, and fire and rescue teams arrived at the scene seven minutes later. Ten crews participated in the firefighting efforts, which took over two hours to fully extinguish the blaze.

According to law enforcement estimates, the fire destroyed approximately 40% of the market area, but prompt actions saved 12,000 sq. m of trading space out of the total 20,000 sq. m. No casualties or injuries were reported.