Incident directory

Synopsis

Brief Synopsis

A fire occurred at a 16 storey high rise building used as dwellings that killed, officially, 15 persons and injured at least 63 with 5 of those that died being children (Wikipedia, 2015).

The fire involved combustible external cladding with most victims being killed by toxic smoke. It is not currently known what cladding material was used e.g. Aluminium Composite Panels (ACM) or with some other descriptions online suggesting ‘Polyurethane panelling’ (RT, 2015 and RFERL 2, 2015) or ‘Styrofoam facing’ (Wikipedia, 2015).

The disaster led to severe outrage among the population and provoked a lot of discussions around the material used in the renovation of the facade of more than 200 apartment blocks in Baku built in the Soviet period. Consequently, the Mayoralty started the process of removing the facade of the buildings where the material causing the fire was used.(Wikipedia, 2015).

A similar fire had erupted in Baku a few days earlier, on 10 April 2015, but there were no injuries and casualties. The reason for both of the fires is indicated as low quality inflammable facade material used in the renovation. (Wikipedia, 2015).

According to unknown author, 2017, 6 people were sentenced to prison terms of between 8 and 3 ½ years on January 27^th 2017 for offences relating to the fire (Unknown author, 2017).

Baku High Rise residence fire, photograph kindly provided courtesy of Will Stewart, from East2West News, 2015.

Baku High Rise residence fire, photograph kindly provided courtesy of Will Stewart, from East2West News, 2015.

Baku High Rise residence fire, photograph kindly provided courtesy of Will Stewart, from East2West News, 2015.

Photograph taken and kindly donated to Wikipedia creative commons by Elshan Baba - Elshan Baba, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40314572

 Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Azadliq Radious, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Ehtiram Jabi, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

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Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Ehtiram Jabi, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Ehtiram Jabi, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Orkhan Aslanov kindly submitted by Will Stewart East2West News Agency, 2015.

Baku High Rise residence fire, photograph kindly provided courtesy of Will Stewart, from East2West News, 2015.

Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Ehtiram Jabi, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

Baku High Rise residence fire, photograph kindly provided courtesy of Will Stewart, from East2West News, 2015.

Baku High Rise residence fire, photograph kindly provided courtesy of Will Stewart, from East2West News, 2015.

Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Ehtiram Jabi, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

High Rise residence fire, image taken by Ehtiram Jabi, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

Baku High Rise residence fire, image taken by Azadliq Radious, kindly submitted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html

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Main findings, key lessons & areas for learning

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Government (agency and/or department) summary of main findings, conclusions, key lessons & recommendations

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Fire & Rescue Service summary of main findings, conclusions, key lessons & recommendations

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Other report summary of main findings, conclusions, key lessons &recommendations

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

IFE Commentary & lessons if applicable

None produced at this time.

Known available source documents

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

FRS Incident Report/s

No information identified to date and/or still to be located.

Local Police Service or Constabulary Incident Report/s

No information identified to date and/or still to be located.

Local Ambulance Service Incident Report

No information identified to date and/or still to be located.

Building Research Establishment (BRE) Reports/investigations/research

No information identified to date and/or still to be located.

Local Coroner’s report/s

No information identified to date and/or still to be located.

Other information sources

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Mackay, D. (2015). Sixteen dead and scores injured as Azerbaijan tower block engulfed in flames. [online]. Available at http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/sixteen-dead-scores-injured-azerbaijan-5725710 [Accessed 4^th March 2017]. The Mirror.

Wikipedia. (2015). 2015 Baku residence building fire. [online]. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Baku_residence_building_fire [Accessed 4^th March 2017].

APA. (2016). Baku court resumes trial of defendants in case over deadly high-rise fire. [online]. Available at http://en.apa.az/azerbaijani-news/accidents-incidents-news/baku-court-resumes-trial-of-defendants-in-case-over-deadly-high-rise-fire.html [Accessed 4th March 2017].

RFE/RL. (2018). At least 15 killed in Baku high-rise apartment fire. [online]. Available at; https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-deadly-fire-baku/27024774.html [Accessed 14^th August 2018]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL)

RFE/RL 2. (2018). Deadly blaze reveals ugly truth behind Baku beautification. [online]. Available at; https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-public-anger-over-deadly-fire/27027429.html [Accessed 14^th August 2018]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL)

Unknown author. (2017). Baku court jails six over apartment-tower blaze. [online]. Available at; https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-baku-aprtment-tower-fire-sentences/28263010.html [Accessed 14th August 2018]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL)

R.T. (2015). 17 dead in Azerbaijan as high-rise combusts in seconds (PHOTOS, VIDEO). [online]. Available at; https://www.rt.com/news/260125-azerbaijan-building-fire-fatal/ [Accessed 14^th August 2018]. RT.

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located.

Emergency service learning material

No information identified to date and/or still to be located.

Videos available

Further information hoping to be identified and still to be located. 

Storyful News. (2015) Deadly fire in Azerbaijan high-rise building. [online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXg7QGiN9KM [Accessed on 4^th March 2017]. YouTube.

The building shown in reference below does NOT appear to be the same one but is of interest due to the speed fire development.

Teymur. I. S. (2015). 2-nd fire of polyurethane façade at Baku, Azerbai. [online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7SCfXFkTZE [Accessed 17^th December 2017]. Youtube.

Bakufm TV. (2015). Bakı şəhərinin Binəqədi rayonunda yaşayış binasında baş verən yanğın [online]. Available at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNnKXMzhz1M&itct=CAsQpDAYByITCIeyo6XH7tcCFYMhTgodtUoMOjIHcmVsYXRlZEiBtrm6soiV3PMB&app=desktop [Accessed 23^rd July 2018]. YouTube.

Texas-Jonathan. (2015). Baki yangin faciesi (bakida bas vermis bina yangininin aglasigmaz goruntusu). [online]. Available at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNMNTuyy8d0 [Accessed 23^rd July]. YouTube.

ONN COM +. (2015). 16 deaths including children .Heavy fire on Building in Azerbaijan 19/05/2015. [online]. Available at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT6N0cQBsVk [Accessed 23^rd July]. YouTube.