Over 100 injured in Erbil bazaar fire

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil governor’s office on Monday said that more than 100 people were injured due to the large fire that engulfed the famed Qaysari Bazaar the night before, adding that an investigative committee has been formed to probe the incident.

“Due to the crowding at the scene, 132 people, including civil defense officers and members, local security forces [Asayish], police, shopkeepers, and civilians were injured. Some of them experienced health problems due to the smoke,” said the governor’s office in a statement, adding that all affected individuals have received treatment.

The fire started at around 9:35 pm and was brought under control around three hours later, according to Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw. The bazaar is located near the city’s historic citadel and is a popular tourist destination.

A total of 227 shops and seven storages were burnt in the fire. The bazaar has over 4,000 shops.

A committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the fire and assess the damage, said the governor’s office, adding that the results of the investigation will soon be made public.

This is the second large fire in Erbil in the span of a month. Flames engulfed the popular Langa Bazaar on April 8, burning down the textile and clothing section and causing millions of dollars in damage.

The same bazaar also caught fire in late February.  

Fires are a perennial concern in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq where safety standards are sub-par. Electrical faults and lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.