One person was killed and at least nine injured after an explosion in a mall in Uzbekistan's southern region of Surxondaryo.
The Central Asian nation's Emergencies Ministry said in a statement on Telegram that the blast hit the two-story building of the Indenim Mall in the center of the city of Denov at around 4 a.m. local time on December 7.
No cause has been given for the blast, but gas explosions are not uncommon in the Central Asian nation during the winter due to aging pipelines and infrastructure, as well as lax safety standards.
According to the statement, firefighters extinguished the fire in less than 30 minutes.
"As the result of the explosion, nine people were injured, and they were all hospitalized. One person was found dead under debris," the statement said.
A state commission led by Deputy Prime Minister Achilboi Ramatov arrived at the site and an investigation of the incident has started.
