Suspects 'confess'
Erbil warehouse fire caused by arson, not electrical issue
ERBIL — Erbil security forces reported that a major fire, which broke out early on March 9 at the Decoras Company warehouse in Erbil, was the result of arson, not an electrical short circuit as initially believed. The fire, quelled after four hours by the city’s Civil Defense teams, was initially suspected to be electrical in origin. However, the Erbil Security Directorate later identified the cause as deliberate arson.
In a video statement released last night, the Directorate announced the arrest of a suspect linked to the fire, attributing the act to a “social dispute and misunderstanding.” According to security officials, the suspect resorted to arson instead of pursuing legal avenues for his grievances, intending to send a strong message to those involved in the dispute.
The suspect, in a confession aired in the video, stated, “After moving from Mosul to Erbil in 2013, I was driven by frustration and anger from a dispute to set the warehouse on fire.”
Salar Ahmad, an owner of the warehouse, told 964media the backstory of the arson involved the suspect’s two sons. They had been employed at the warehouse and were caught embezzling, leading to their report to the authorities. Despite attempts to resolve the issue through tribal mediation, no agreement was reached.
Ahmad detailed, “The theft, discovered a year ago, involved between $20,000 and $30,000 in cash and goods. These individuals had been entrusted with company assets worth over a million dollars. Their trial was forthcoming, but the fire has postponed it, suggesting the dispute has intensified.”
He expressed bewilderment at the father’s motive for arson, noting the individual’s advanced age, nearly seventy, and their prior interactions which did not hint at such drastic measures.
The fire caused extensive damage to the Decoras warehouse, destroying over 8,600 types of materials.
Three days following the incident, Civil Defense teams are still managing smoldering debris and preventing any resurgence of the fire, using heavy machinery to remove and dispose of the wreckage.
Man confesses to industrial warehouse fire following arrest
