The cause of the market fire in Jaihun has been revealed

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan reported that the cause of the large fire at the central market in the Jayhun district (formerly Kumsangir) of the Khatlon region was a “short circuit of electrical wires.”

A major fire occurred on the night of July 1 to 2 at the central market in the Jayhun district (formerly Kumsangir) of the Khatlon region. The fire covered 2,830 square meters, with 95 percent of the market burned to the ground.

A trader who had two points of sale for electrical cables and wires at this market told journalists that both of his pavilions were completely burned down, with total damages amounting to 700,000 somoni (approximately 70,000 dollars). He does not know if the authorities will compensate him for such a colossal loss.

The central market in the Jayhun district is located near the Tajik-Afghan border. Residents from several nearby districts came to the market for shopping.

This is not the first incident of fires occurring at markets in the country. In most cases, authorities state that fires at markets happen due to non-compliance with fire safety regulations or due to short circuits, but in almost all cases, issues of compensation for losses to entrepreneurs and the resumption of their activities remain a point of contention between the authorities and those affected by the fire. The entrepreneurs themselves do not rule out the possibility of intentional arson of the markets in these cases.