ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A massive fire erupted in Erbil’s Qaysari market overnight, a key center of commerce in the city. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after four hours of intense efforts.
The Erbil Civil Defense has reported no casualties following the fire.
However, Erbil Mayor Nabaz Abdulhamid told reporters on Monday that at least 372 shops have been destroyed in the fire, noting that this figure is preliminary and subject to increase.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire, which is yet to be determined.
As the market hosts over 4,000 shops selling smartphones, gold and jewelry, security forces have been deployed to protect the properties.
Governor Omed Khoshnaw informed reporters during a press conference that a fire erupted in the center of the market, complicating the efforts of the firefighting teams to access the area.
He also attributed the spread of the fire to the curtains that covered the merchandise outside the shops.
Fires in Erbil are frequently occurring events. Just last month, a massive fire erupted in the Langa market, a second-hand market, causing extensive damage to dozens of shops.
However, the cause of the fires remains unknown.
