The key facts

  • A wall collapsed between the construction site of the former champagne wine factory and Botkin Cemetery, damaging gravestones in sector 15
  • Khokimiyat: burials were not opened, work has been stopped, those responsible will be held accountable
  • The customer and contractor apologized and promised to complete the restoration by the end of the week

What happened

Reports spread on social media that during construction work an excavator damaged graves at Botkin Cemetery in Tashkent. According to the outlet Gazeta, based on social media reports, the incident may have occurred as early as October 18, and some video recordings were made on October 21. The capital's khokimiyat confirmed: on the territory of the former champagne wine factory, a wall separating the site from the cemetery collapsed. As a result, several gravestones in the last row of sector 15 were damaged. According to a preliminary examination, the burials were not opened.

The authorities' response

The Tashkent city khokimiyat and the City Improvement Department took the situation under control. Construction work carried out with violations has been stopped, and those responsible have been identified. According to the administration's statement, the circumstances of the incident and the actions of those responsible will be given a legal assessment, and those guilty will be held accountable in accordance with the law.

Restoration

The customer and the contractor are obliged to eliminate the consequences of the collapse and restore the damaged gravestones. According to the khokimiyat, they apologized and confirmed that they will complete the work by the end of the week. The progress of the restoration is under control, and they promised to provide additional updates on the process. The khokimiyat also emphasized the importance of treating the memory of the deceased and the feelings of their loved ones with respect: “We understand the grief and outrage of the relatives of the deceased. The memory of those who have passed and the feelings of their loved ones must be treated with respect,” the statement said.