Grocery store fire in Hatteen Complex highlights lack of nearby civil defense center

SINJAR — A fire broke out Saturday afternoon at a grocery store in the Hatteen Complex in Shamal, a town within Sinjar district, causing significant material losses. Delayed firefighting efforts, due to the distant location of the nearest civil defense center, prompted local residents to step in and contain the flames.

Store owner Ato Khider told 964media, “We did not receive a swift response from the firefighting teams located far from the incident, and if not for the community’s efforts, we would not have been able to contain the fire up to this point.”

The fire, reportedly caused by an electrical short circuit, spread rapidly, destroying the store’s entire inventory.

Sinjar, located 120 kilometers from Mosul in Nineveh province, is Iraq’s second-largest district and home to a significant Yazidi population. The incident underscores the need for improved infrastructure and emergency response capabilities in the area.

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