ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A blaze on Saturday morning burned dozens of shops in one of Sulaimani’s bazaars. No injuries have been reported.
“The fire caused no loss of life and has been brought under control,” Haval Abubakir, the governor of Sulaimani, told reporters, adding that "the relevant authorities are investigating the cause of the fire."
The fire broke out in the Dara Sutawaka market.
A shop owner with three stores in the market said he lost everything.
“All three of my stores were burned down, along with my goods and equipment. The total damage is estimated to be around $30,000,” he said.
Some shop owners believe the fire was caused by a short circuit. According to one of them, they called the fire department before 6:00am, but they did not show up until an hour later and dozens of shops had been damaged.
“My sister's son’s shop here was completely burned and everything inside was destroyed,” said one shopkeeper at the scene.
Fire is a frequent concern in the bazaars in cities across the Kurdistan Region. Electrical faults and lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.
