The Fergana District Criminal Court issued a verdict on the case of the explosion at a gas station in Fergana at a hearing on June 24.

Background

The Petrolium gas station in Yangiyul neighborhood close to residential buildings, sold gasoline and propane. according to official information, one person died on the spot, and three more died in the hospital in the explosion on December 17.

The provincial police department opened a criminal case under paragraph "a" of Part 2 of Article 257 (violation of labor protection rules resulting in death) and paragraph "a" of Part 2 of Article 259 (violation of fire safety rules resulting in death) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan.

Five people were detained in the criminal case in accordance with the procedural procedure.

The gas station belonged to Farg`Ona Layli Naxor company which was registered in August 2006. Its director is Mansurzhon Matkarimov, and the owner is Azizkhuzha Mavlonov.

There have been no official comments on how the gas station could operate in close proximity to residential buildings.

Explosion and victims

As stated in the case materials, in August 2024, the director of Farg‘ona Layli Naxor Mansur Matkarimov, “without complying with the established requirements, arbitrarily and without any permits,” installed equipment for refueling cars with propane, as well as one 5-ton and two 2.5-ton gas tanks on the territory of the gas station. The installation work was carried out by agreement with Matkarimov by his acquaintance Bakhodir Tozhimatov, while, as noted, fire safety rules were violated.

Despite the lack of a license to sell propane, in December 2024, Matkarimov, by verbal agreement, purchased gas products from GTL Gaz LLC without any documents and sold them to motorists. In particular, on December 3, he received 18.9 tons of propane worth 151 million soums, on December 12 - 23.4 tons worth 187 million soums, refueling cars and receiving income of 339 million soums.

Sentence

The court found Mansur Matkarimov guilty under the following articles of the Criminal Code:

• Engaging in an activity subject to licensing without a license, associated with receiving income on an especially large scale charge;
• Manufacturing, forgery of documents, stamps, seals, forms, their sale or use by prior conspiracy by a group of persons charge;
• Violation of labor protection rules resulting in the death of a person; other serious consequences charge;
• Violation of fire safety rules resulting in the death of a person; other serious consequences charge.

He was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment.

Two other defendants, Utkir Madaminov and Davron Kholmatov, were found guilty of making counterfeit documents. Madaminov was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison, Kholmatov to 3 years in prison.

Bakhodir Tozhimatov, who performed the construction, was sentenced to 4-year house arrest.

The husband of the deceased woman, who died in a fire at a gas station with her two young sons and niece, said that four children were born in their marriage.

According to him, in August 2024, he left for Russia to earn money and worked as a storekeeper at a plant in Tver, Moscow region.

According to the court decision, Mansur Matkarimov is obliged to pay the legal representatives of the four deceased 310.27 million soums each ($25,000) — a total of 1.24 billion soums in moral damages, as well as compensate for financial damage worth of 2.358 billion soums in favor of 12 civil plaintiffs.

It is noteworthy that the appraisal company estimated the material damage to the BMW X3 worth 96 thousand dollars at 650.8 million soums ($52.4 thousand), and the Kia K8 — 424.3 million soums (34.2 thousand). The court ruled to collect these amounts from Matkarimov in favor of the victims.

The judge's ruling also provided for compensation for other car and home owners.