Afghanistan: Fire in Kabul's Mandawi Market results in losses worth $700,000

Kabul [Afghanistan], December 21 (ANI): A large fire at Kabul's historic Mandawi market on Sunday, resulted in dozens of shops getting destroyed and caused an estimated USD 700,000 in losses, Khaama Press reported, citing officials.
As per Khaama Press, the large fire swept through Kabul's Mandawi market early on Sunday. The incident highlighted persistent safety risks in the Afghan capital's commercial areas.
While no casualties were reported, the fire, however, left dozens of traders facing heavy financial losses.
It mentioned that local merchants said most shops in Mandawi are uninsured, leaving owners with little protection against such disasters.
The Traders have called on the authorities to provide emergency assistance, and the Interior Ministry said it would investigate the incident.
Khaama Press said that the incident has renewed scrutiny of fire safety in Kabul, where similar blazes in crowded markets have previously been blamed on faulty wiring. With a lack of fire exits and inadequate firefighting equipment, it underscored the need for urgent infrastructure upgrades.
As per Khaama Press, the blaze broke out before dawn in a shoe market inside Mandawi, which is one of the capital city's oldest and busiest wholesale centres for imported goods like footwear, clothing and household items.
According to Khaama Press, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit- a problem traders and experts say is common in markets with old wiring and limited safety oversight.
It further mentioned, citing the ministry that firefighters were dispatched with several water tankers who worked for hours to bring the blaze under control, preventing it from spreading to neighbouring sections of the market.
Khaama Press underlined that the fire comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with the United Nations estimating that nearly 90% of the population lives below the poverty line and is unable to meet basic needs such as food, healthcare and shelter.
Citing UN agencies, it further mentioned that the unemployment in the country has surged to around 75%, thus increasing hardship as the country also faces an influx of nearly three million returnees from Iran and Pakistan, which further strains the limited resources and aid efforts. (ANI)