A large fire tore through the main market in Khwaja Bahauddin district of Takhar province early Sunday, destroying more than 40 shops, local sources said.
The blaze began around 2 a.m. (Kabul Time) and burned for over three hours before local residents managed to contain it, according to eyewitnesses.
The affected businesses included carpentry workshops, sawmills and the district’s wheat trading center. Shop owners reported losses ranging from 500,000 to 600,000 afghanis (about $5,700 to $6,800) in merchandise and equipment.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Taliban officials have not publicly commented on the incident.
