The key facts

  • On October 27, two people were injured at a transformer substation of the Parkwood residential complex in Tashkent's Mirabad district; one was hospitalized in intensive care
  • The company initially reported a phase-to-phase short circuit during repairs; a specialist later named a different cause
  • Most transformer substations of new buildings are not on the power grid company's balance sheet: according to the specialist's estimate, only 30–40% have been transferred

What happened

On October 27, a video spread in Tashkent showing a person on fire while bystanders tried to help him. According to Kun.uz, the incident occurred at a transformer substation of the Parkwood residential complex in the capital's Mirabad district. Two people were injured and taken to the Republican Specialized Scientific-Practical Medical Center for Emergency Medicine: one was released home after receiving aid, while the other was hospitalized in the intensive care unit.

Two versions of the cause

The transformer substation is not on the balance sheet of Toshkent Shahar Elektr Tarmoqlari (Tashkent City Power Grids, TSET). In its initial statement, the company said the fire broke out due to a phase-to-phase short circuit during repair work being carried out on the transformer. However, later the company's specialist Aziz Tuichiyev told Kun.uz a different cause: according to him, construction workers took the key to the substation from the security guard and were injured by an electric arc while trying to plug in an extension cord to use an angle grinder. “In fact, the key should be kept not by the security guard, but by a responsible person,” he noted.

Who is responsible for safety in new buildings

According to a TSET representative, a responsible person with appropriate qualifications must be appointed for the operation of the transformer substation, and work must be carried out in compliance with safety requirements. To put a transformer substation into operation, the construction company is obliged to obtain permission in the established procedure and register documents for the responsible persons. If the company has no power engineer, a contract can be concluded with a specialized organization to service the substation. After the substation is transferred to the power grid company's balance sheet, the issuance and return of keys is controlled through the enterprise's system.

Scale of the problem

Aziz Tuichiyev could not name the exact number of new buildings whose transformer substations have been transferred to the power grid company's balance sheet. According to his estimate, this is 30–40% of new multi-story buildings; the remaining substations, presumably, remain on the balance sheet of developers or other organizations. The Parkwood management company did not respond to Kun.uz's request for comment.