DUSHANBE, January 18, Asia-Plus - New details emerged Thursday afternoon about the fire that had affected the Dushanbe market.

Taghoymurod Eshzoda, a spokesman for the Tajik firefighting service, told Asia-Plus that the fire that broke out on the first floor of the covered market Barakat in the center of Dushanbe had damaged a space of 200 square meters. 

The first floor of the market houses a number of shops and food warehouses.  According to Eshzoda, the fire broke out Thursday, early in the morning, at around 2:30 a.m., and shopping centers Somon and Jomi, as well as shops ## 23. 24, 25 and two food warehouses were enveloped in flames.  “Three firefighting crews participated in extinguishing the fire that was localized in a short time,” the spokesman said, noting that according to the preliminary data, damage caused by the fire to entrepreneurs amounted to more than 37,000 somonis.  

“Since all the anti-fire control panels with extinguishers were locked, guards failed to take opportune measures to suppress the fire that spread to other premises,” Eshzoda noted.  

Besides, the preliminary investigation established that the market’s administration has not paid a proper attention to the fire-preventive measures, according to the spokesman. 

A special commission has worked in the fire site to investigate the cause of the fire.