Store owners rush to save their goods as a fire sweeps through Yadanarbon Market last Monday. Pic: AFP

A FIRE ripped through Mandalay’s largest commercial district, the four-storey Yadanarbon Market, on February 25, causing massive damage and many injuries.

At least 21 people were injured and 1500 businesses damaged or destroyed in the blaze, according to the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar.
“Altogether 21 people – four monks, 11 firemen, three men and three women – were injured in the fire,” the paper said.

The fire was sparked by an electrical short-circuit in a shop at about 8:20am but the main blaze was not extinguished for at least six hours, the paper added.

But fire fighters were still putting out spot fires the following day, witnesses told AFP.

A pillar of smoke from the Yadarnarbon fire is visible from across Mandalay on February 25. Pic: Mandalay bureau

The blaze gained momentum as gas cylinders and other inflammable objects in restaurants exploded, witnesses told The Myanmar Times.

All four storeys suffered heavy damage. The 59-room computer training centre operated by Myanmar Information and Communication Technology, which occupied the whole top floor of the market, was almost completely destroyed, according to state media reports.

The effect on Mandalay’s economy could be significant, said one businessman, particularly for the IT industry. Many IT companies had set up businesses in the market, completely occupying the third level of the building.

“This is one of the major business centres in Mandalay. Almost all the IT companies in upper Myanmar have offices here so the industry could suffer great losses. The Sky Walk Shopping Mall and the whole of Yadanarbon Market have been burnt down and that could result in a downturn for Mandalay’s economy,” the businessman said.

In addition to housing the MITC centre, Yadanarbon Market was also home to the Mandalay Computer Scholar’s Association, Computer Entrepreneurs Association, Engineer’s Association Trader’s Association and Myanma Railways.

A shopkeeper from a textile stall said customers and employees were extremely lucky the blaze started early in the morning. If it had started during normal working hours they would have been caught up in it, she said.

But, of course, many were left heartbroken by the fire. U Win, who owned a photo shop and studio, said he had planned to move one of his businesses just before the fire broke out, destroying both of them.

A Sky Walk staff member said preparations had already been underway for the second anniversary of the shopping mall on March 24.

Only four of the businesses in the market and shopping mall had fire insurance, said Dr Mg Maung Thein, the general manager of Myanma Insurance.

He said that in addition to these companies, Sky Walk Shopping Mall also carried insurance through a Malaysia-based company.

“Sky Walk Shopping Mall carried US$3 million in fire insurance through a Malaysian insurance company. The policy covers the shopping mall building but not the shops inside the building,” he said.

Among the companies that carried fire insurance was Lucky Bird computer accessories and training centre, which carried a policy worth K24 million for the store and K10 million for the training centre.

“We are now processing their damage claim,” said Dr Mg Maung Thein.
One particularly unlucky company was Relax Business Group, which sold furniture and machinery and which had let its fire insurance policy lapse two months ago after deciding not to extend.

“The company carried more than K222 million in fire insurance but two months ago their policy expired and they decided not to renew, so they can’t get compensation,” Dr Mg Maung Thein said, adding that the example served as a lesson for companies to update their insurance policies.

“People should be very careful. There were several major fire incidents in Myanmar within a week even though we are just starting to enter the summer fire season,” he said.

One of the other fires he was referring to was a blaze that swept through a residential neighbourhood adjacent to Industrial Zone (4) in Yangon’s Hlaing Tharyar township on the morning of February 25 – the same day as the Yadanarbon fire – destroying more than 200 houses and leaving thousands homeless, according to officials from the Yangon Fire Brigade.

Officials said the fire started at 7:45am, sparked by a cooking stove in a home in the township’s Thaung Gyi quarter.

By the time the blaze was brought under control two hours later it had spread to the adjacent Yay Oakkan quarter, reducing 201 houses to rubble and leaving 2969 people from 765 families homeless.

A senior official from the Fire Brigade said 45 emergency vehicles, including seven command vehicles, arrived on the scene to fight the fire.

A local Red Cross volunteer who lives in the area said the fire could have been extinguished much more quickly if residents had cooperated to put it out.

“If the residents had banded together to quickly to extinguish the fire it wouldn’t have spread so far. Instead they rushed around trying to save their belongings,” he said.

The Department of Relief and Resettlement under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has established three temporary resettlement centres near the scene of fire to house the victims of the disaster and to provide them with necessary assistance, officials said.