Crews work day and night

Cleanup efforts underway at Erbil’s Langa market following fire incident

2024-02-29 | 10:59

ERBIL — Cleanup operations are underway at Erbil’s Langa Market following a massive fire Tuesday evening that caused extensive damage and destroyed 166 shops out of roughly 2,400.

The blaze, which took nearly three hours to control, sent plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky. Officials say 90 people, including firefighters, market workers, and civilians, were affected by the smoke, with 24 requiring hospitalization. All hospitalized individuals have since been released.

Omar Tofiq, head of services at Gulzar Company, which was tasked with the cleanup by Erbil’s fourth municipality, told 964media that teams were deployed on Wednesday and would require six days to complete.

“With ten teams of workers and all our equipment, we have been working from the morning until late at night,” Tofiq explained. The crews are using bulldozers, loaders, and other heavy machinery to remove debris that will be transported to the Kani Qirzhala landfill.

Following the cleanup, electrical maintenance teams reportedly will begin repairs to the market’s wiring systems.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.