ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A fire broke out in Kirkuk’s bazaar on Sunday, burning over a hundred shops and storages, marking the latest in a series of bazaar fires in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The fire at Kirkuk’s Ottoman-era Qaysari bazaar in the early hours of Monday burned over 100 shops, according to Rudaw’s reporter on the ground.
Shopkeepers said they were suspicious about the source of the fire because it broke out in different areas of the bazaar at the same time.
The blaze has been brought under control, and no casualties were reported.
“We have two shops and storages in this bazaar. They have all burned down and we have suffered about $50,000 in damage,” a shopkeeper told Rudaw’s Hiwa Hussamadin.
“I have four shops in the old market and they have been completely burned down. We have suffered a lot of material damage. The cause of the fire is unknown but the government must find out,” another shopkeeper said.
Fires are a perennial concern in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region where safety standards are often lacking. Electrical faults and a lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.
But a series of frequent bazaar fires in Erbil recently have led people to suspect arson, with shopkeepers alleging that such fires are frequently ignited to cause chaos and allow thieves to ransack their shops.
Earlier in May, a devastating blaze at Erbil’s Qaysari bazaar injured at least 132 people and burned a total of 227 shops and seven storages.
It was 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.
