DUSHANBE, October 20, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Over the past several years, nine fires have broken out on Dushanbe’s largest merchandise market Korvon, the Minister of Interiors Mahmadnazar Solehov announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on October.

The minister noted that in the majority of cases, entrepreneurs working with the market themselves were to blame for the fries.  According to him, many of them do not observe fire safety requirements.          

In the meantime, one of versions of Sunday’s fire on the Korvon fire is also non-compliance with the fire safety requirements. 

As it had been reported earlier, the fire broke out on the market on October 19 at 4:45 p.m.  Twelve fire crews participated in putting out the fire and it was extinguished in an hour.  According to the preliminary data, the fire damaged several departments of the shop Prestige.  The preliminary damage caused by the fire is 50,000 somoni, the source at the main fire directorate said.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

It is not the first fire on the Korvon market.  We will recall that a large fire broke out at Dushanbe’s largest merchandise market, Korvon, on August 13.  The fire that broke out at 1:00 a.m. destroyed an area of 2,100 square meters.  Fortunately, no casualties were reported.  Investigation established that the August 13 fire had been caused by arson.   

 Speaking to reporters, the chief of the main fire directorate within the Ministry of Interior (MoI) Mahmadsaid Karimov said that 941 fires have been registered in the country since the beginning of this year and damage caused by those fires has been estimated at more 2.808 million somoni.  25 people, including six minors, have been killed by fires this year.