“They promised compensation but then disappeared” — A woman who lost four family members in gas station explosion speaks out

In December last year, an explosion at an illegal propane filling station in Fergana city claimed the lives of many people. Among the victims were a woman’s daughter and three grandchildren. Jamila Oripova, who lost her family in the tragedy, shared her story with Kun.uz, expressing grief over the devastating day and dissatisfaction with the court’s outcome.

On December 17, 2024, a gas station selling both gasoline and propane located on Ahmad Yassavi Street in Fergana city exploded, killing several citizens. Four individuals were found guilty in connection with the incident. The main culprit, Mansur Matkarimov, who identified himself as the station manager, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Jamila Oripova lost her daughter and three grandchildren in the horrific incident. Her daughter, Sevara Yusupova (born 1988), her two children — MuhammadYusuf Ikromov (b. 2020) and Zubayr Ikromov (b. 2022) — as well as Sugdiyona Umrzokova, the 18-year-old daughter of Jamila’s eldest daughter, all perished.

“On December 17, my daughter Sevara had taken her sons, MuhammadYusuf and Zubayr, to the children’s hospital because they weren’t feeling well,” Jamila recounts. “There were long queues. I don’t know whether they went to the playground near the gas station to pass the time, but suddenly, my in-law called, asking: ‘The station exploded — where is Sevara?’ I told him she was at the hospital with the kids. He said he’d been calling but couldn’t reach her and began to worry. I tried calling too. No answer.

“I kept calling, and eventually, a police officer answered my daughter’s phone and said the phone’s owner was in the emergency department. I rushed to the hospital, but I couldn’t find them. I don’t remember much after that — I was brought home before sunset, given medication. I can’t recall anything else.”

Sevara’s husband worked in Russia, so her niece Sugdiyona, the eldest granddaughter, lived with her aunt. She always went wherever her aunt went.

“That girl screaming 'My child!' on the asphalt in the viral video — that was my daughter. The burned children behind her — they were my grandsons.

“Sugdiyona had just turned 18 on December 15. We celebrated her birthday two days before the tragedy. She died on the spot, burnt beyond recognition. Sevara, MuhammadYusuf, and Zubayr died later in intensive care — one after another.”

According to Oripova, the local government provided 17 million UZS to her family and 30 million UZS to the other grandparents. “That was the only assistance we received,” she says. “My husband and I are both retirees and receive no pension. The owners of the station brought some food for Eid, both last Eid and this one — may God bless them. But…”

“My younger daughter had four children — two boys and two girls. I always told people I didn’t have sons, but these grandsons made me feel like I did. And now she and both her sons are gone. The two girls are still with us — we must raise them now.

“The owner of the gas station, Azizkhoja Mavlonov (the founder of Farg‘ona Layli Naxor private company), promised my son-in-law that he would pay $25,000 per victim. But he never followed through. He gave us $5,000, then disappeared.

“No amount of money can bring my children back. But what about their children? What about those two little girls — one is 10, the other is 8. They lost their mother. They hug me and say, ‘You smell like mom.’ We need to raise them properly. Sevara worked at a salon and took care of me too.”

Jamila says that the true owners of the gas station — the Mavlonov family — never appeared in court. Only their employees were prosecuted.

“I wasn’t satisfied with the trial. The real owners should have been there and held accountable,” she concluded.

Note:

According to the court ruling, Mansur Matkarimov was ordered to pay 310 million UZS in moral damages to each of the four victims’ legal representatives — totaling 1.24 billion UZS.