Fire at Bakhtar Market in Balkh Causes Extensive Financial Damage to Vendors

A fire broke out yesterday in the underground section of Bakhtar Market, located south of Ziarat Mubarak and near Shadiya Gate, causing significant financial damage to the market’s vendors. The incident has raised widespread concern among shop owners.

According to local officials, the fire was controlled and extinguished through the coordinated efforts of Balkh provincial police forces, the 209th Al-Fath Army Corps, the General Directorate of Firefighting, and the firefighting team from Balkh International Airport. This cooperation highlights the joint efforts of security and service agencies; however, the damages have introduced new economic challenges for the vendors.

Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, the governor of Balkh, during a visit to the fire site, met with the market manager and vendors, promising that the local administration would use all available resources to address their problems. The visit occurred while vendors expressed their gratitude for the firefighting forces’ services and the cooperation of officials.

Bakhtar Market is one of the major shopping centers in Balkh, which has previously been criticized for its lack of safety measures and necessary equipment, increasing its vulnerability to incidents such as fires. The absence of adequate infrastructure standards intensifies concerns about the recurrence of such events and underscores the Taliban administration’s responsibility to provide security and basic facilities for markets like this.