KHUJAND, January 5, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- A gas blast that occurred in an apartment building in Khujand, the capital of Sughd province on January 1 partially damaged an apartment on the first floor and injured at least three people, including a 9-year-old girl.

According to the Sughd fire department, the blast occurred last Saturday, at about 8:00 am. “A 27-liter gas cylinder exploded, injuring a 25-year-old woman, who is owner of the apartment, her civil husband and her nine-year-old daughter,” said the fire department official, “The woman with 15 percent burns, her civil husband with 20 percent burns and the girl with broken collarbone were taken to the resuscitation unit of the Khujand city hospital.”

The cause of the accident is under investigation and a special commission is assessing damage caused by the gas blast.

It is to be noted that accidents involving gas happen quite often in Tajikistan, which is still struggling to upgrade ageing infrastructure and raise safety standards.