ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi parliament plans to form a committee to probe a devastating blaze at Erbil's Qaysari Bazaar which burned over 200 shops on Sunday, a lawmaker said.
Kurdo Omer, a Kurdish lawmaker at the Iraqi legislative, told Rudaw on Thursday that “the committee will visit Erbil and prepare a report on the fire for potential compensation of the affected.”
He added that the formation of the committee was requested by some Kurdish lawmakers.
At least 132 people were injured in the inferno, including firefighters and police officers. A total of 227 shops and seven storages were burnt in the fire. The bazaar has over 4,000 shops.
This 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.
Fires remain a constant worry in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq due to inadequate safety standards. Electrical faults and lack of basic safety measures are a major part of the problem.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has launched an investigation into the fire but has yet to announce results.
The diplomatic missions of the US, Canada and Germany on Monday expressed their sadness over a devastating blaze.
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