The Interior Ministry has attributed the Sultoni Kabir fire to an electrical malfunction.

The Interior Ministry says that the one of the main versions of the fire at Dushanbe’s Sultoni Kabir market is that it was caused by an electrical malfunction.    

“It is still premature to say about the exact cause of the fire at the Sultoni Kabir market but it probably was caused by electrical malfunction,” Umarjon Emomali, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told Asia-Plus in an interview.   

However, the versions such as arson and careless handling of fire are also being considered, Emomali added.   

Recall, more than 20 shops have been destroyed by a fire at the Sultoni Kabir market in Dushanbe, according to the Dushanbe mayor’s office.

The fire reportedly broke out on the first floor of the six-story market at 8:30 pm of June 2 and an area of 1,230 square meters that housed more than 20 shops of household appliances was enveloped in flames.  Fortunately, no human casualties were reported.

More than 100 special machines and more than 3,000 servicemen of the Firefighting Service of the Interior Ministry were involved in extinguished the fire, a source at the Dushanbe mayor’s office told Asia-Plus in an interview.

The fire was reportedly extinguished at 00:15 am of June 3.  

Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali yesterday met with top managers of the Sultoni Kabir market and entrepreneurs who were running shops at that market. 

A special investigative commission comprising representatives of the Interior Ministry and the State Committee for National Security has been set up.