KULOB, July 4, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Two refueling station operators have sustained first- and second-degree burns as the fire that has broke out at the refueling station in Khatlon’s Muminobod district.

Two refueling station operators – the 50-year-old Rahmatsho Aliyev and the 23-year-old Jamshed Davlatov – were injured Thursday as fire broke out at the refueling station near the village of Mamadiyon in the Muminobod district, Asia-plus has learned from Colonel Mahamdullo Bozorov, the deputy chief of the Kulob firefighting service.

The operators were hospitalized with first- and second-degree burns.  

According to Bozorov, the cause of the fire was careless handling of barrels filled with gasoline.  Damage caused to the refueling station was estimated at more than 1,500 somonis.  

Bozorov noted that it is already the second fire at refueling stations in Muminobod this year.  The first one caused by similar reasons occurred at the refueling station near the village of Khonatarosh on June 27, 2008.