Massive fire at H-9 weekly bazaar guts hundreds of stalls in Islamabad

Islamabad's H-9 Weekly Bazaar, a popular marketplace also known as Itwar Bazaar or Sunday Bazaar, was engulfed by a massive fire on Tuesday night, causing extensive damage to hundreds of stalls.

The blaze originated in Block C, an area predominantly featuring shoe stalls, and quickly spread, necessitating a large-scale emergency response. Firefighters, police, and district administration officials were dispatched to the scene. Assistance was also requested from Rawalpindi, with additional fire engines and personnel deployed to combat the inferno.

Efforts to extinguish the fire were ongoing at the time of reporting, and the cause of the incident remained undetermined. Preliminary assessments indicate that hundreds of stalls suffered severe damage. The Assistant Commissioner I-9 was present at the site, overseeing the firefighting operations.

This incident is the fifth fire to occur at the H-9 Weekly Bazaar since 2017, highlighting a recurring problem that has consistently raised concerns about the market's safety standards, electrical wiring, and the adequacy of its firefighting preparedness. Previous fires have destroyed varying numbers of stalls, with incidents in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022 also causing significant damage.