Elite banquet complex in Baku closed due to serious violations

The State Fire Supervision Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan continues to take necessary measures to ensure fire safety on the territory of the country within its authority.

As reported to BAKU.WS by the department, during an inspection conducted by the state service in the VIP and "European Hall" banquet halls of the "Khamsa" (Xəmsə) complex, located on Mikail Aliyev Street in the Nizami district of Baku, numerous fire safety deficiencies were identified that pose a direct threat to human life and health, the environment, and the property interests of the state.

In particular:

- evacuation routes of the facilities are decorated with combustible materials;

- no contracts have been concluded with specialized organizations for scheduled technical maintenance of fire automation devices;

- the staff of the facilities have not been instructed on fire safety issues;

- the facilities are not fully equipped with primary firefighting equipment;

- in corridors, stairwells, vestibules, and lobbies, the surfaces of structures are finished with combustible decorative materials;

- emergency lights are not installed on evacuation routes;

- the results of electrical equipment inspections, identified malfunctions, and measures taken are not recorded in the operational log;

- free opening of evacuation exit doors from rooms in the direction of exit is not ensured;

- the territory of the facilities is not kept clean;

- project documentation for major repairs and reconstruction of the facilities has not been approved by the State Fire Supervision Service.

Thus, the current situation shows that continued operation of the facilities could lead to rapid fire spread in case of its occurrence, which would make tragedy inevitable.

Given the above, due to the discovery of gross violations of fire safety norms and rules, a decision was made to suspend the activities of the VIP hall and "European Hall" of the "Khamsa" complex. A copy of the decision was handed to the facility representative.

It is worth noting that the "Khamsa" complex is one of the most popular venues for weddings, anniversaries, and other ceremonial events in Baku. Hundreds of celebrations are held here annually, attended by thousands of guests. However, as the inspection showed, the safety of visitors is under great threat due to flagrant violations of fire safety rules.