ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A second-hand market in Erbil caught fire early on Thursday. Teams of fire fighters were working into the daylight to try to extinguish the ongoing blaze.
The market is Langa Bazaar on 100 Meter Street. Initial reports indicate the cause was an electrical short circuit.
“The extent of damage is unclear now . There have fortunately been no casualties,” said Brig. Gen. Shwan Abdulqadir, the head of Erbil fire department.
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani promised some compensation for shop owners.
"The Langa Bazaar fire made me very upset. I sympathize with those who have incurred losses," he tweeted, saying that a special committee would investigate losses and suggest measures to prevent future such disasters.
"Be certain that those who have incurred losses will be compensated according to ability," he added.
The market is Langa Bazaar on 100 Meter Street. Initial reports indicate the cause was an electrical short circuit.
“The extent of damage is unclear now . There have fortunately been no casualties,” said Brig. Gen. Shwan Abdulqadir, the head of Erbil fire department.
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani promised some compensation for shop owners.
"The Langa Bazaar fire made me very upset. I sympathize with those who have incurred losses," he tweeted, saying that a special committee would investigate losses and suggest measures to prevent future such disasters.
"Be certain that those who have incurred losses will be compensated according to ability," he added.
An eyewitness told Rudaw the fire couldn't be easily controlled because it is coming out from the main gates of the traditional bazaar.
“Only the center of the market is burning now, but our teams cannot enter the place because roofs of the shops are burnt and have collapsed,” explained Abdulqadir.
“There is no fire extinguishing system in the market. That is why we have to connect hoses to each other to reach the center of the market,” he added.
The shop keepers have been trying to drag out their equipment from inside the shops before the flames reach their stores and are angered.
“Instead of recognizing the endeavors our team is making, shop owners have beaten up most of our firefighters. They each had screamed for help asking that fires in their shop be extinguished first. That is why they had got angry and beat our firefighters,” explained Abdulqadir.
Rain fell steadily in Erbil on Thursday, but the blaze continued. The fire department requested for helicopters to assist in fighting the fire.
The Kurdistan Regional Government's interior ministry dispatched a helicopter to dump buckets of water on the market. A pilot revealed each bucket can carry 360 liters of water per dump.
The bazaar is well-known and attended by thousands of shoppers per day.
Nabaz Abdulhamid, the mayor of Erbil city, estimated that 1,200 shops caught fire in the giant blaze. He added as of midday, the fire is not controlled.
"The Langa bazaar consists of 2,400 shops, half of which caught fire," he explained.
Updated at 6:29 p.m.
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