Trader loses 14m afs in Kabul market blaze

KABUL (Pajhwok): A huge fire that broke out in a marketplace in the capital Kabul overnight left a shop and a warehouse completely gutted, inflicting 14 million afghanis in losses on the owner, witnesses said.

Blamed on an electric short circuit, the blaze in Qawa-i-Markaz erupted at around 9: 10pm last night, quickly reducing a shop and a warehouse to ashes, said Abdul Saboor, the area watchman.

He said the fire spread to other few shops in the vicinity and caused damages.

Abdul Wahid, owner of the gutted shop and warehouse, told Pajhwok Afghan News his vehicle spare parts and oil worth $250,000 (more than 14 million afs) were completely destroyed by the fire.

He demanded the government and other relevant departments support him after he lost all his capital invested. “Most of the commodities I lost were purchased on loaned money and I have to continue paying that in installments every week.”

He complained firefighters arrived too late and had not been able to control the situation.

But Col. Mohammad Kazim, Kabul fire bridge department chief, said his staff arrived at the scene soon after the fire erupted and were able to control the flames within an hour.

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