The Taliban-run interior ministry said a fire at Kabul’s Mandawi market caused an estimated $700,000 in damage, but firefighters prevented it from spreading further.
In a statement, the ministry said the blaze broke out at a shoe market complex inside the Mandawi wholesale area, damaging eight shops and 10 warehouses.
Shopkeepers said the fire started at around 4 a.m. on Sunday. The ministry added that a rapid response by firefighting teams saved property worth about 150 million Afghanis ($2.2 million).
Taliban spokesman for the ministry said short circuit caused the fire in Mandawi market.
Fires are a recurring problem in Mandawi, one of Kabul’s oldest and most congested commercial areas, where narrow alleys, overcrowded shops and unsafe electrical wiring heighten the risk of such incidents. Other major markets in the Afghan capital, including Sarai Shahzada and parts of the central bazaar, have also suffered repeated fires in recent years, often resulting in significant financial losses for traders.
Taliban authorities have previously cited faulty wiring, the use of unsafe heating equipment during winter and limited firefighting infrastructure as key factors behind the frequent blazes.
