HERAT (Khaama Press) : A fire broke out at the Herat customs warehouse on Wednesday, August 14th. The blaze continued for eight hours due to negligence and a delayed response by officials, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.
Sources told Khaama Press that the fire started around 2:30 PM on Wednesday at the customs warehouse and quickly spread. The cause of the fire is still “unclear,” although Taliban officials attribute it to “technical issues.”
Eyewitnesses suggest that if the firefighting teams had acted in a timely manner, the financial damage could have been significantly reduced. The Chamber of Commerce and Investment officials also believe that the delay in the firefighting response contributed to the fire’s extensive duration and damage.
The widespread fire at the Herat customs warehouse did not result in any casualties but the financial damage is reported to be “very significant.” In response, a team from the Chamber of Commerce and Investment of Afghanistan was dispatched to Herat on Thursday, August 15, to assess the fire and its consequences.
Khan Jan Alkozai, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, stated that a delegation led by Mohammad Yunus Momand, the deputy of the chamber, arrived in Herat to investigate the fire. He reported, “One guesthouse was completely burned, another was partially burned, and over 12 vehicles parked there were all destroyed.”
Alkozai criticized the delayed arrival of the firefighters and urged the Taliban to ensure that firefighting teams are active at critical commercial locations to respond promptly to such incidents.
Firefighters from Iran arrived in Herat on Wednesday to assist in extinguishing the fire.
The incident occurs amid a dire humanitarian crisis and severe poverty in Afghanistan, underscoring the urgent need for improved infrastructure and emergency response systems in the country. The ongoing crisis continues to strain resources and hinder the ability to address such emergencies effectively.
