TASHKENT -- A powerful explosion struck a warehouse near the main airport in Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent, overnight, killing a 16-year-old youth, injuring at least 160, and causing extensive damage.
At least 24 people are in critical condition in intensive-care units at local hospitals.
The powerful blast, which occurred around 3 a.m. in the Sergeli district of the Uzbek capital, sent shock waves throughout the city and was followed by a massive fire.
The Emergency Situations Ministry of Uzbekistan said the explosion was followed by a fire.
“Sixteen fire crews and three ladder trucks were sent to the scene of the explosion. They arrived at 2:48 a.m. and began extinguishing the fire and eliminating the consequences,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Defense Ministry said that some 1,000 troops were involved in dealing with the consequences of the incident.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the blast that hit the warehouse belonging to the Inter Logistics company.
A government commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Achilbay Ramatov was created to deal with the situation, authorities announced.
With a population of nearly 35 million, Uzbekistan is the most populous of the Central Asian former Soviet republics.
The explosion reportedly broke windows of nearby apartment blocks, shops, and other buildings.
Local media reports said a person born in 2006 died after being crushed by a window frame during the blast.
Video footage posted on social media showed a column of flames and smoke rising into the sky.
Uzbek national news agency UzA said that despite the blast, the Islam Karimov International Airport, Uzbekistan's largest, is functioning normally.
Fires triggered by outdated equipment and noncompliance with safety standards are a regular occurrence in Uzbekistan.
The acting mayor of Tashkent, Shavkat Umurzakov, promised that the city would compensate those whose houses incurred damage as a result of the explosion within two to three days.