ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will start handing out compensation to victims of Erbil’s central bazaar fire next week, the governor announced on Thursday. “Next week, [the KRG] will start distributing aid dedicated to the victims of the Qaysari bazaar fire,” Omed Khoshnaw, Erbil’s governor, told reporters. On May 5, a blaze engulfed the grand bazaar in downtown Erbil, burning 247 shops. The compensation ranges from two to 20 million dinars ($1,500 to 15,200), according to the governor. Victims of the April 24 fire in Sheikhallah bazaar and the February 27 Langa bazaar blaze will also receive two million dinars. KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani visited Qaysari bazaar earlier 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 and called on the Iraqi and Kurdish government 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.
