(Reuters) – A powerful explosion has occurred in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, news website Daryo reported early on Thursday, citing information from the Ministry of Emergency Situations that a warehouse in a district near the city’s airport had exploded.
Flights at Tashkent International Airport appeared to be taking off and landing as normal, data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed.
A notice to airmen issued at 2215 GMT on Wednesday said a runway at the airport would be closed for takeoff and landing between 0200 GMT and 0700 GMT on Thursday, but a segment would be available for taxiing. It did not provide a reason.
According to a Daryo post on social media, the Ministry of Emergency Situations received a call that a fire had occurred due to a strong explosion at one of the warehouses located in the city’s Sergeli district.
Fire and rescue crews and vehicles have arrived at the scene and are currently extinguishing the fire, the post said, adding details of injuries and deaths as a result of the fire were not yet known.
(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue and Jamie Freed)
