Officials look to 'uncover the facts'
Iraqi parliament forms committee to probe Erbil bazaar fire
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s acting parliament speaker, Muhsin Al-Mandalawi, directed the formation of a committee on Thursday to investigate the recent fire that devastated Erbil’s historic Qaysari Bazaar.
The decision came during a parliament session attended by 170 lawmakers, according to a statement from the parliament’s press office.
“The acting speaker has directed the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire incident in Erbil,” the statement said.
The massive blaze, which erupted on the night of May 5, destroyed 227 shops and seven warehouses, injuring 132 people.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani visited the Qaysari Bazaar on May 6 and pledged support for rebuilding efforts, along with a commitment to uncovering the cause of the fire.
Initial reports pointed to an electrical malfunction, similar to causes cited in other Erbil market fires this year. However, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Electricity investigated the Qaysari Bazaar fire and said it found no evidence to support the claim.
The Qaysari fire marked the latest in a string of blazes that have plagued Erbil. The city has witnessed nine significant market fires since the beginning of the year, all resulting in substantial financial losses.
A major fire on February 27 at the Langa Market destroyed 185 shops, with losses estimated at 6.75 billion Iraqi dinars ($5.15 million).
Fires continued the following month. On March 9, a fire in the Northern Industrial Area gutted a warehouse storing electrical goods. Later, on March 13 and 27, fires in several markets in the Farmanbaran Bazaar and near Qushtapa damaged shops and warehouses, with losses reported at nearly $1 million.
Another incident at the Langa Market on April 8 saw 48 shops were affected. The Erbil Governor Omid Khoshnaw cited negligence and overcrowding as the main causes of that blaze.