An accident occurred at a thermal power plant in Bishkek

ТАСС:  The accident at the thermal power plant, one of the most important generating facilities in Kyrgyzstan, occurred on Friday night. Presumably, the emergency occurred at the 14th boiler, reported Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic Nasipbek Kerimov.

As eyewitnesses said, a boiler exploded at the heating plant, after which a fire started in the old station building. It was extinguished within two hours.

As a result of the incident, the equipment of the thermal power plant failed, the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan reported.

The republic created a commission to find out the reasons for what happened.

The authorities are considering several versions, including sabotage, said the head of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations, Boobek Azhikeev.

Five employees of the thermal power plant were injured. Three of them were hospitalized in serious or extremely serious condition.

Residents of Bishkek are provided with electricity, but the supply of hot water and heating to several micro districts has been suspended. Electricity supply was cut off to approximately 60 thousand apartments.

The city's schools have switched to distance learning until at least February 5.

City transport, shops, banks, state and municipal authorities are operating as usual, Bishkek City Hall told TASS.

An operational headquarters has been created to eliminate the consequences of the accident at the thermal power plant.

The authorities are ready to quickly deploy heating centers for citizens, said Vice-Mayor of Bishkek Zhyrgalbek Shamyraliev.

The thermal power plant will be fully restored in 5-7 days, the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations assured.

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov inspected the progress of restoration work and gave “urgent instructions for the speedy restoration” of its work, his press service reported.

Due to the emergency, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov returned to Bishkek from Almaty, where he was supposed to take part in a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that Russia is ready to assist Kyrgyzstan in eliminating the consequences of the accident.