Islamabad H-9 market fire: Eight-member inquiry committee formed

Additional reporting by Muhammad Zareef

ISLAMABAD: A preliminary report into the H-9 Sunday Bazaar fire has been completed, with initial findings pointing to a combination of administrative lapses and safety violations as key factors behind the blaze’s rapid spread. According to sources, the fire broke out at 9:50pm and within five minutes had spread extensively, ultimately affecting approximately 300 shops. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed the market and closed all entry points as cooling operations continue.

The report stated that while one fire brigade vehicle was present at the scene, it had been moved outside the market gate before closing time, with the bazaar locked. When the fire broke out, the single vehicle proved wholly insufficient to contain it. Compounding the crisis, the bazaar lacked fire hydrants, severely hampering rescue teams’ ability to bring the blaze under control.

Stall holders were also found to have violated fire safety SOPs. Many stalls had been covered with tarpaulins and tents, which acted as accelerants, allowing the fire to leap rapidly from one stall to the next across multiple sections.

In response, authorities have constituted an eight-member inquiry committee to investigate the incident. The Additional Deputy Commissioner General has been appointed convener, with officials from MCI, police, CDA, and Civil Defence among its members. The committee has been tasked with determining the cause of the fire and the factors behind its spread, reviewing the response time of rescue services, assessing total damages, and preparing recommendations on the safe reopening of unaffected sections. The District Magistrate has directed the committee to submit its report within three days.

Situation on ground

Fire brigade vehicles and personnel remain on site as smoke continues to rise from the market. District administration officials confirmed that the fire had spread across nine sections of the bazaar, with seven now brought under control. In its latest update, the administration said 80 per cent of the fire had been extinguished, with work ongoing in the remaining sections.

Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi teams are also participating in relief and firefighting operations. Authorities confirmed there were no casualties. The fire is reported to have originated in cloth stalls; an investigation into the cause is underway.

LPG crackdown cited

District administration officials said daily operations against the use of LPG cylinders in the market had been ongoing, with nine shopkeepers arrested the previous day alone. A complete ban on LPG cylinders in commercial markets is already in force, officials said.

Traders demand answers

The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran issued a statement holding CDA’s Disaster Management wing responsible for the failure to contain the fire in time. “This is the fourth time traders have lost crores of rupees to fire,” said Ajmal Baloch, president of the traders’ body, calling for the immediate dismissal of the CDA’s Director General of Disaster Management.

Baloch said it was well established that a fire must be controlled within seven minutes to prevent major losses, and that the administration had repeatedly been told to station fire brigade vehicles between each sector of the market. He noted that a previous CDA chairman had issued orders to this effect, which were never implemented.

“Identify the responsible parties and punish them accordingly,” Baloch said.

The traders’ body said it stood with all affected vendors and warned that if the government failed to compensate losses, a formal protest would be announced.