Erbil market fire leaves +150 shops destroyed, injures nearly 100 persons

Shafaq News/ A massive fire ravaged Erbil's central "Bala" market on Tuesday evening, causing widespread devastation and injuring 90 individuals, local government reported on Wednesday.

The blaze, which raged for over three hours before firefighters brought it under control, consumed 166 shops out of the market's total of 2,400. No fatalities were reported.

Both firefighters and civilians were among the injured, with 90 individuals experiencing asphyxiation due smoke inhalation. "Twenty-four of the injured persons required hospitalization but were later discharged home," the governorate said in a statement.

Authorities have formed a committee to investigate the cause of the fire. Eyewitnesses suspect an electrical malfunction may have triggered the blaze.

The Erbil Civil Defense Directorate said over 20 units and more than 100 firefighters were deployed to combat the inferno. The extensive damage inflicted upon the market has left many shopkeepers facing significant losses, with the full extent of the economic impact still under assessment.