DUSHANBE, January 14, Asia-Plus — Administration of the firefighting directorate of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) says a number of higher educational institutions in the Tajik capital do not meet fire safety requirements.
A source at the Tajik firefighting service said that they have inspected educational and medical facilities across the country for violation of the fire code and compliance with fire safety requirements.
According to him, in Dushanbe alone, they have to date inspected Tajik State Teachers’ Training University, Tajik State Agriculture University, and Russian-Tajik Slavonic University (RTSU).
The inspections have recorded numerous instances of violation of the fire code in the mentioned universities, especially at the Agriculture University and RTSU. “Thus, in the case of necessity, firefighting vehicles will not be able to got enough water put out a fire at these universities,” the source said.
In the meantime, speaking to journalists on January 11, Khodoynazar Asozoda, Chancellor of Tajik Teachers’ Training University, said that the university meets the fire safety requirements and just a number of inconsiderable shortcomings had been revealed during the inspection.
“During last year’s major repairs to the university’s head building all necessary measures were taken to bring it into compliance with the fire safety requirements,” the chancellors said, noting that officers from the firefighting service confiscated all helical heaters.
Dwelling on the fire that broke out in a head building of Tajik Medical University last month, Asozoda noted that fire engines that had come to the fire site had not had water. The chancellor added that Tajik Teachers’ Training University would transfer some 10,000 somonis to the bank account for rehabilitation of the Medical University’s building.
We will recall that the fire that broke out in the head building of Tajik State Medical University on December 26, 2007 practically destroyed the building completely.
The fire that broke out at around 1:30 p.m. lasted till late into the night. 13 firefighting crews of the firefighting service as well as fire engines and water-carrying vehicles of Russian military base and the committee for emergency situations were involved in extinguishing the fire. Despite all efforts taken by firefighters, the fire destroyed a total space of more than 9,000 square meters.
The fire probably brought out on the third floor and then spread rapidly through the building. All three floors of the building were completely enveloped in flames and the building that was constructed in 1939 practically burned down. No injured was reported.
