100+ shops razed in East Darfur market fire

More than 100 shops and stalls were destroyed on Wednesday when fire raged through Shabakat market in Bahr El Arab locality in East Darfur.

One of the affected traders said that fortunately there were no casualties, although high wind and the lack of fire extinguishing equipment contributed to the material loss. He said that the the fire destroyed about 90 per cent of the market shops built with hay. Losses are estimated at SDG 25 million (*$1.37 million).

He predicted that the residents of Bahr El Arab would face a significant shortage of food and consumer goods as a result of the devastation caused by the fire.

* Based on the official US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)