KULOB, August 10, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A fire that broke out in a shopping center, Guliston, in Khatlon’s Muminobod district yesterday night destroyed the center completely, Safol Rahimov, the chief of the Muminobod firefighting service, said told reporters today.

“The fire broke out in the night and although firefighters came to the fire site in time they failed to put out the fire promptly,” Rahimov said, “When the firefighters came to the site, it turned out that the firefighting vehicle does not have water, when they went for water, gasoline ended and they stuck.”

According to the preliminary estimates, the fire destroyed goods for more than 70,000 somoni and damage caused to the shopping center’s building was estimated at some 30,000 somoni.

Rahimov told reporters that the district firefighting service is experiencing serious problems, including lack of fuels.  “Our officers have not received wages for several months.”