A massive fire ripped through Islamabad’s H-9 Sasta Bazaar, reducing around 500 stalls to ashes and causing losses estimated at nearly Rs100 million.
The incident, described as the fourth major fire to hit the market in the last five years, has left hundreds of traders devastated and raised serious questions about rescue preparedness and administrative negligence.
As shopkeepers watched their businesses and life savings burn overnight, anger mounted against the Capital Development Authority (CDA), district administration and emergency services.
The fire broke out at H-9 Sasta Bazaar on Tuesday night, engulfing nine sections of the market and spreading rapidly through hundreds of stalls.
Shopkeepers desperately tried to save their goods, but the flames consumed large portions of the market. By the time the fire was brought under control, hundreds of shops and their merchandise had been destroyed.
According to initial estimates, around 500 stalls were burned and losses reached approximately Rs100 million.
Traders question rescue response
The affected traders raised a series of concerns about the response to the disaster, questioning why fire brigade vehicles and fire extinguishers had reportedly been removed from the market before the fire.
They also questioned whether a Rescue 1122 vehicle stationed in the area had water available and asked why fire brigade teams allegedly arrived late despite repeated emergency calls.
Several traders claimed they contacted rescue services when only a few stalls were burning, but help did not arrive immediately.
One trader alleged that when shopkeepers called for assistance, they were told there was no vehicle or staff available. Others questioned whether the fire had been planned, pointing to what they described as repeated failures in fire prevention and response.
Shopkeepers demand answers
Many traders expressed frustration that the market has suffered multiple devastating fires over the years, yet no inquiry reports from previous incidents have been made public.
Victims said this was the fourth major fire to strike H-9 Sasta Bazaar within five years and argued that lessons had not been learned from earlier disasters.
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Some shopkeepers also questioned the cause of the blaze, noting that market generators operate between 10am and 10pm and claiming there were no solar systems or batteries that could have triggered the fire after operating hours.
Administration rejects allegations of delay
District authorities rejected claims that emergency responders arrived late. Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon said fire brigade vehicles reached the scene within five to eight minutes and that he personally arrived around the same time.
According to the deputy commissioner, fire teams from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and the Pakistan Air Force participated in the operation.
Discussing the possible cause of the blaze, Memon said it could have resulted from a lit match, a lighter or an electrical short circuit. However, he stressed that the exact cause would be determined through an investigation.
Rescue teams battled the flames for several hours before bringing the fire under control late at night. According to officials, the blaze was fully controlled after approximately three to three-and-a-half hours of firefighting efforts.
More than 13 fire tenders participated in the operation, while cooling activities continued after the flames were extinguished. By dawn, little remained of the affected sections of the market except charred debris and the ashes of hundreds of destroyed stalls.
Traders accuse authorities of negligence
Following the incident, traders sharply criticized the performance of relevant institutions.
Some claimed the Rescue 1122 vehicle present at the market did not have water, while others accused the CDA of removing firefighting equipment previously available on-site.
Several affected business owners alleged that emergency vehicles arrived around 20 minutes after the fire began, while rescue officials reportedly cited blocked routes as a reason for delays.
The traders described the incident as another example of administrative inefficiency and demanded accountability from the authorities.
Seven-member inquiry committee formed
In response to the fire, the Islamabad administration constituted a high-level seven-member inquiry committee to investigate the incident.
According to the official notification, the committee will be headed by the additional deputy commissioner general and will include representatives from the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), police, CDA and Civil Defence.
The committee has been directed to submit its report within three days.
The inquiry committee has been tasked with conducting a detailed review of the response time of rescue services and assessing the causes of the fire. It will also investigate the factors that contributed to the spread of the blaze and conduct a comprehensive assessment of the damage caused.
Additionally, the committee will prepare an action plan and formulate a procedure to restore and reactivate the unaffected portions of the market.
Business community demands compensation
The business community reacted strongly to the destruction caused by the fire.
The president of the All Pakistan Traders Association, Ajmal Baloch, directly blamed shortcomings in disaster management for the failure to control the blaze more effectively.
Affected traders demanded immediate compensation for their losses and warned that a nationwide protest campaign would be launched if their demands were not met.
With hundreds of livelihoods affected and major questions still unanswered, traders are now looking to the inquiry committee’s findings for accountability and assurances that such a tragedy will not happen again.
