Uzbekistan: Officials eye fire at military base as possible terrorist act

7/10/08

It would seem that Uzbek officials suspect that a mysterious fire and explosion July 10 at a military base outside of Bukhara was no accident. Some indicators suggest Uzbek authorities are proceeding from the assumption that terrorists are prime suspects in the mishap, which killed at least three and left 21 injured.

The fire began late on July 9 not far from an ammunition depot containing rockets and other explosive devices at a military base in the Bukhara Region of Uzbekistan. Efforts to prevent the blaze from spreading proved unsuccessful and the flames started causing munitions to explode. The first blast was recorded at 1:48 a.m. on July 10. The explosions initially followed in rapid succession, then continued sporadically until about 10 a.m. local time. Some of the blasts reportedly shattered windows in the city of Bukhara, roughly 10 kilometers away.

During the late Communist era, the base was a key supply center for Soviet forces then fighting in Afghanistan. As a result, huge stockpiles of rockets for assault helicopters and other munitions were stored at the facility. Some experts speculate that significant portions of those stockpiles might have still been kept at the base at the time the July 9 fire.

A report distributed by the official UzA news agency said three people died and 21 were injured. The report did not specify if the victims were soldiers at the base and/or civilians living in the nearby town of Kagan. At least one witness, however, was quoted by the Russian-language news website Ferghana.ru as saying the number of casualties is likely much higher.

"The injured arriving from Kagan have already filled the main provincial hospital in Bukhara," the unnamed witness told Ferghana.ru. The witness added that more space was needed to treat new arrivals from the disaster area. "They are clearing space at the cancer clinic and cardiology clinic [in Bukhara]." Several witnesses added that the death toll could be significantly higher than the officially reported number. The explosions reportedly caused the collapse of numerous residential buildings standing near the base, including a five-story apartment complex. The hospital and train station in Kagan were also leveled, witnesses told Ferghana.ru. Officials disputed reports of extensive damage to nearby residential areas.

Authorities provided no information on the suspected cause of the disaster. But the way the government has organized its investigation clearly suggests that the terrorist angle will be thoroughly probed. Prominent among the agencies involved in the investigation are the State Security Service and the Prosecutor-General's Office. Judging by the order of a list of agencies participating in the governmental commission, the ministries of interior, defense and emergency situations will be playing secondary roles. This suggests that top government officials suspect the fire was the result of a criminal act.

Residents of Kagan, however, dispute the notion that terrorists or Islamic militants could have been involved, according to one Ferghana.ru report. The base, they said, was home to a large number of volunteer troops, as well as conscripts, and was heavily guarded at all times. The fact that so many soldiers were housed at the base leads some locals to speculate that many troops may have perished amid the explosions.

Meanwhile, other locals offered praise for the way local officials handled the evacuation of Kagan. Authorities quickly organized meals, shelter and medical assistance for the evacuees, witnesses said.

Posted July 10, 2008 © Eurasianet