In a major fire that broke out today at around 5 a.m. local time in the Bacid Kendal refugee camp, southwest of Zakho in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), up to 50 shops in the camp’s internal market were destroyed. The fire was brought under control relatively quickly and there were no fatalities.
The fire department was able to prevent the flames from spreading to the tents of the more than 1,600 families living in the camp. The fire was brought under control after just under two hours. The destruction of the sales outlets resulted in massive financial losses. However, according to local officials, there were no human casualties.
According to Jamal Hussein, head of civil defense (fire department and rescue services) in Zakho, the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. In the past, there have been repeated similar fires in this and other camps in the region due to inadequate infrastructure.
Bacid Kendal Camp
The Bacid Kendal refugee camp was established in 2014 to provide refuge for Yazidi survivors of the attack and subsequent genocide by ISIS. Currently, around 8,500 people live in the camp.
The camp is located on the outskirts of the Zaxo district, a few kilometers from the point where the borders of Iraq, Syria, and Turkey meet in the east of the province of Duhok.