Kabul, March 22 (IANS) At least 43 shops were reduced to ashes after a fire broke out at a local market in northern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, the provincial department of information and culture said in a statement.
The blaze erupted in Ab Jim market in Raghistan district, said the statement on Saturday evening, adding that preliminary estimations indicate that shop owners have inflicted damages worth nearly 22 million afghanis (around 349,000 US dollars).
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Investigation teams have been dispatched to the scene, and investigations are underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, according to the statement, reports Xinhua news agency.
Fire incidents are common across Afghanistan, frequently caused by inadequate safety standards, faulty electrical wiring and the lack of modern firefighting equipment, especially in remote provinces.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, at least four commuters were killed, and three others sustained injuries after their vehicle overturned in northern Afghanistan's Faryab province, the official media outlet Bakhtar News Agency reported on Saturday.
The mishap took place in the Jungal area, Dawlat Abad district, when the driver lost control due to carelessness, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and overturn, killing four on the spot and injuring three others, according to the report.
The injured were transferred to a nearby health centre for treatment, it said.
Road accidents remain a leading cause of death in Afghanistan, often resulting from reckless driving on congested roads, poor road conditions, and a lack of traffic signs on dilapidated highways.
--IANS
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