Massive warehouse explosion near Tashkent airport kills one and injures over 160

In September 2023, a massive explosion tore through a warehouse near Tashkent International Airport in Uzbekistan, killing at least one person and injuring more than 160 others in one of the capital’s most powerful blasts in recent memory. The incident occurred in the Sergeli district in the early hours of 28 September 2023, when a large explosion at an industrial storage facility triggered a major fire that shattered windows in nearby apartment buildings and sent a huge plume of smoke over the city. Authorities reported that a teenage boy was killed when a falling window frame struck him, while a total of 162 people were treated for injuries, with dozens hospitalised and others treated for minor wounds. Emergency services responded with multiple fire and rescue crews, working through the night to control the blaze, and officials established a special laboratory to investigate the cause of the explosion. Despite the severity of the blast, flight operations at Tashkent’s airport continued normally. Preliminary reports by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations suggested that the explosion may have been triggered by a lightning strike at the warehouse, which reportedly contained flammable materials, though the precise cause was the subject of ongoing inquiry. The powerful shockwave from the explosion was felt across the city, highlighting vulnerabilities in industrial safety and emergency preparedness in urban areas.