Fire engulfs warehouses at Safwan border market in Iraq’s Basra
Shafaq News- Basra
A large fire on Friday swept through the Safwan border market near Kuwait in Iraq’s Basra province, causing heavy material losses without casualties, a local official told Shafaq News.
Aqeel Talib Al-Furaiji, head of the Security Committee in the Basra Provincial Council, indicated that the blaze erupted at dawn in the market’s auction section, where warehouses store construction materials, electrical equipment, paints, and timber. Thick smoke, he noted, rose from the site as flames spread rapidly through highly flammable goods.
Units from the Civil Defense Directorate, supported by teams from the Basra Oil Company, led the response and contained the fire before it reached nearby buildings.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause.
The incident follows a series of fires reported across Iraq since early 2026, affecting homes, markets, factories, displacement camps, and public institutions. Although the General Directorate of Civil Defense recorded a 74% nationwide decline in fire cases during 2025 due to stricter safety enforcement, recent incidents have continued to cause casualties and material damage.
