Investigation Finds Delays, Safety Gaps in H-9 Market Fire Response

The district administration has released the findings of an inquiry into the fire that erupted at Islamabad’s H-9 Market, identifying several operational and fire safety shortcomings while stating that the exact cause of the blaze will only be confirmed after a forensic examination.

According to the report, the fire initially broke out at stalls C-432 and C-433. The inquiry committee also recorded statements from security personnel and several shopkeepers as part of its investigation. The report states that the fire started at approximately 9:45 p.m., after which guards and vendors initially attempted to extinguish the flames on their own instead of immediately notifying emergency responders.

The fire brigade was informed at 9:51 p.m., while the first fire engine entered the market at 10:02 p.m. The first government official to reach the scene was the Assistant Commissioner of I-9, who arrived at 9:57 p.m. Rescue efforts involved teams from Capital Emergency Services and Rawalpindi Rescue, with additional support provided by fire tenders from the Jinnah Convention Centre and water browsers from Naval Headquarters. The fire was completely brought under control at 1:20 a.m.

The inquiry revealed that many vendors had been using their stalls as storage spaces by keeping excess goods inside after business hours. It also found that some stalls had been sublet to other vendors, resulting in poor compliance with fire safety standards.

Although market guards had received fire safety training three years ago and twice again in 2025, the report noted that the designated fire tender was not present at its assigned location when the fire broke out. Rescue authorities stated that the vehicle was away to refill its water supply at the time.

The committee further observed that the market lacked sufficient facilities and infrastructure to effectively control a sudden fire. It concluded that the precise cause of the incident cannot be determined until the forensic team’s report is completed. The inquiry stressed that delays in informing rescue services may have contributed to the spread of the fire, as initial efforts focused on self-extinguishing the blaze instead of seeking immediate professional assistance.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, the committee has recommended a series of measures, including a strict ban on storing goods inside stalls during nighttime, requiring vendors to keep merchandise at stalls only during market operating hours, conducting a comprehensive fire safety audit of the market, prohibiting the use of highly flammable tarpaulins, banning the subletting of stalls with cancellation of allotments for violations, and improving the operational readiness and response capabilities of emergency services.