A court in the city of Gulistan, located in the Syrdarya region, has concluded criminal proceedings regarding a devastating gas explosion at a local catering establishment widely known as the “Bek” teahouse. The tragic incident, which claimed the lives of six people, laid bare systemic safety violations, severe negligence, and a complete disregard for industrial and public safety standards.

According to court documents and investigative findings, the establishment had been operating for years using liquefied gas cylinders that had long exceeded their safe service life. Forensic experts established that the teahouse owner utilized cylinders manufactured in 2000, 2010, 2013, and 2018, with several units evading mandatory technical inspections since as far back as 2015.

Although workplace safety guidelines were formally outlined within the enterprise, responsible management failed entirely to enforce or monitor their execution. Comprehensive expert analysis confirmed that the cylinder that ultimately ruptured was manufactured in August 2010 and had not undergone technical certification for a decade. Thermal exposure caused the compromised metal to crack, leaking gas that subsequently ignited from nearby cooking flames.

Investigations revealed that just a day prior to the disaster, on December 1, 2025, four gas cylinders were loaded into a Damas vehicle under management orders and taken to a local refueling station. Notably, the filling station lacked the legal license required to distribute liquefied petroleum gas for domestic household cylinders; nevertheless, station personnel filled the dangerously outdated equipment anyway.

On the morning of December 2, maintenance staff reconnected the cylinders to the kitchen stoves and boilers, allowing cooks to resume operations. At approximately 10:50 AM, the compromised cylinder attached to one of the cooking pots violently detonated, triggering a catastrophic blast that resulted in multiple fatalities and widespread devastation.

Source: kun.uz