ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday distributed assistance funds to the owners of shops damaged in a massive fire at a bazaar in Duhok last month.
A massive fire swept through central Duhok’s Chale bazaar on April 1, burning over 300 shops. The blaze was controlled several hours later.
During a ceremony on Wednesday, attended by Duhok governor Ali Tatar, nearly 4 billion Iraqi dinars (about $3 million) were distributed to over 260 shop owners.
“The KRG has allocated aid to shop owners. This assistance is small compared to the damage the shop owners suffered,” Tatar told the shop owners.
“The reason is that due to the floods that occurred in Duhok last month, many people were affected, their houses were flooded and we compensated them, which prevented us from providing you with sufficient assistance,” he added.
The shop owners received aid varying from 1 million dinars up to 140 million dinars.
Fires are a perennial concern in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, where safety standards are subpar. Electrical faults and lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.
There have been several major fires in the Kurdistan Region recently.
A large fire engulfed Erbil’s Langa bazaar late February, allegedly caused by an electric short circuit, burning hundreds of shops.
Three people were severely injured earlier this week after a fire broke out in a gas plant in Erbil.
A fire erupted at Erbil’s popular Qaysari Bazaar earlier this month, burning down a total of 227 shops and seven storage units. Over 100 people were injured due to the large, fire according to Erbil’s governor’s office.
Hunar Rasheed contributed to this report from Duhok
