Azerbaijan’s Emergencies Ministry: locked door in Baku fire was not an evacuation exit

The door that remained locked during a fire in a residential building in Baku’s Yasamal district was not an evacuation exit, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement.

Residents had claimed the building had an additional exit used by the Loft restaurant and kept locked. The ministry clarified that the door is listed in the building’s technical passport as part of a non-residential area.

According to design standards AZDTN 2.7-2, non-residential public spaces must be isolated from residential sections, meaning the door was not required to serve as an evacuation route.

The ministry also addressed speculation that charging devices may have caused the fire, noting that installation of electric charging stations falls under the responsibility of power supply companies and is not regulated by the ministry.