KRG compensating Erbil bazaar fire victims: Governor

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The government has started the process of compensating people affected by fires earlier this year at large markets in Erbil, the province’s governor announced on Monday.

“We have started distributing aid to the victims of the fires since yesterday,” Omed Khoshnaw, the governor of Erbil said during a press conference on Monday, adding that the funding came from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The Qaysari and Langa bazaars are major commerce centers in the capital city of the Kurdistan Region. 

“Last night here at the Erbil provincial building, all of the victims of the Qaysari Bazaar fire were here, and they were aided according to a list of names,” Khoshnaw said. 

Compensation for those impacted by the fire at the Qaysari Bazaar ranges from 2.5 to 20 million dinars ($1,890 to 15,200), according to the governor.

People affected by the fire at the Sheikhallah Bazaar on April 24 and the fires at Langa Bazaar on February 27 and April 8 are also receiving two million dinars (around $1,500) on Monday, Khoshnaw added. 

KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani visited the Qaysari Bazaar on Thursday and promised that the government will “restore everything, brick by brick.”

A joint investigation by Erbil and Baghdad concluded on July 1 that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was responsible for the bazaar blazes as well as a series of similar fires in Duhok and Kirkuk provinces earlier this year. 

The PKK denied the claim, calling on the Iraqi and Kurdish governments to find the “real perpetrators.”

Fires are a perennial concern in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. They are especially frequent in the summertime when the scorching heat increases the risks.

Safety standards also are often ignored in the country. Most buildings lack adequate fire extinguishers, evacuation routes, and emergency exits.