Uzbekistan: at least five dead in a gas explosion

At least five people died in a building explosion caused by a gas leak in northwestern Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Asia's most populous country announced on Monday (January 30th). central.

Deadly gas explosions are relatively common in many former Soviet republics, such as Uzbekistan, due to often aging infrastructure.

150 deaths in 2022

Moreover, according to official Uzbek statistics, nearly 150 people died in 2022 after being poisoned by carbon monoxide, a toxic and odorless gas.

Many cases have been recorded in recent weeks in the midst of an energy crisis, which has left part of the population without electricity or heating despite abnormally low temperatures.

To keep warm, residents often use makeshift devices that expose them to the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Sunday's explosion in Nukus, capital of Karakalpakstan, killed five people and injured a five-year-old girl, authorities said.

Less than two million inhabitants live in Karakalpakstan, a republic integrated into Uzbekistan, out of the nearly 35 million in the country, but which represents more than a third of Uzbek territory.