A large fire broke out early on Sunday at the Mir Alam shoe market in Kabul’s Mandawi area, traders said.
Shopkeepers said the blaze started at around 4 am local time (12:30 am CET) and had not yet been brought under control by firefighters several hours later.
Nine hours after the fire started, the Taliban-run interior ministry said the fire has been distinguished.
The ministry said the fire affected eight shops and 10 warehouses, causing losses estimated at nearly $700,000. Firefighters were able to save property worth about 150 million Afghanis ($2.25 million) through what the ministry described as a timely response.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
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.
