An underground gold processing workshop using toxic chemicals has been discovered in the basement of a residential building at 44A Asif Magerramov Street, Nasimi District, Baku.
The situation became critical after the workshop owners connected the ventilation system from the toxic substance-filled room to the building’s downspout. Residents of the high-rise building are sounding the alarm, as they are unable to breathe properly in their apartments due to the spreading strong odor.
“A chemical substance, possibly potassium cyanide, is used there. This is an extremely dangerous compound. When we found out about it, we were just shocked. There are children and elderly people living in the building – they are all at deadly risk,” said one of the residents.
Another resident described the situation even more dramatically: “A heavy smell rises from the sewage hatch. When I passed by, I felt nauseous. We didn’t immediately understand what was going on until we noticed a strange pipe sticking out. All the residents have headaches, nausea all day, and some are vomiting.”
Outraged citizens attempted to resolve the issue on their own.
“We gathered and asked them to stop using these substances. We explained that families with small children live here and mass poisoning is happening,” shared another resident of the building.
It is notable that the chairman of the Nasimi-3 LLC, which was created by the residents to manage the building, claims that he was not informed about the underground workshop’s activities. According to him, the basement property owners are outsiders who do not live in the building.
In response to a query from Khazar Khabar, the Executive Power of Nasimi District stated that the building was constructed and commissioned by a construction company around 20 years ago. Since it is not under the jurisdiction of the Executive Power and is managed by the resident-formed Nasimi-3 LLC, the district authorities claim no legal responsibility for non-residential premises in the basement.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations responded to the situation, stating that the fire inspection officer had obtained data on the property owners. An inquiry has been sent to the unified information registry of inspections at the Ministry of Justice for organizing an unscheduled inspection. Following receipt of the relevant report, fire-technical examinations will be conducted, and legal measures will be taken based on the results.
