Bishkek: Emergency services in Central Asian Uzbekistan have said that a blast at a chemical plant in the eastern town of Fergana claimed "human casualties", without confirming how many died in the explosion.
In a short statement that appeared on the Ministry of Emergency Situations' website late on Thursday, the ministry said the blast at the Ferganaazot plant occurred at 16:30 local time (09.30 GMT) on February 23.
The factory produces fertilisers and other chemical products.
The statement said the explosion had taken place during "repair works" and that a government commission would investigate the incident and help provide assistance to victims of the blast and their families.
Uzbekistan, a tightly controlled country that gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 relies heavily on agricultural exports to bolster its troubled economy.
