A fire broke out near Izza market in Tashkent province today, with videos of the blaze quickly spreading across social media.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, a report of a fire at one of the shops in Tokzor neighborhood of Zangiota district reached the ministry's duty unit at 12:29 p.m., prompting rescue crews to head to the scene immediately.
Witnesses said the flames spread to several shops within a short span of time, with thick black smoke visible from various parts of the city.
The fire was brought under control by 1:48 p.m. and fully extinguished by 2:09 p.m., the ministry reported. No casualties were recorded. Preliminary estimates put the burned area at roughly 400 square meters of shop space. The cause of the fire and the exact number of shops affected have not yet been determined.
This is not the first fire at the site: in February of this year, a blaze broke out at the Izza construction materials market. An inspection conducted by the Ministry of Emergency Situations just days before that earlier incident had identified a number of fire-safety violations, and the ministry said the fire resulted from those deficiencies not having been fully addressed in time.
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