ISLAMABAD         -         A massive fire erupted on Wednesday inside weekly bazaar of the federal capital, located at sector H-9 commonly known as Peshawar Morr. The said bazaar is operated by the Directorate of Municipal Administration, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad thrice a week and stalls are allotted to private individuals. According to an eye witnesses, the extent of the fire was so massive that it rapidly engulfed dozens of shops leaving over 150 burnt, however, no causalities have been reported following the incident. Rescue sources said that the blaze is reported to have caught the bazaar’s gate number seven at Srinagar Highway section where most of the stallholders sell carpets and second-hand clothing for winter season. The Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate of the MCI was engaged in extinguishing the fire, while police and district administration were also present at the site of the incident, including the federal capital’s deputy commissioner. All the routes going toward the bazaar have been sealed by the police to avoid any losses in case fire is expanded further. Speaking to media, the deputy commissioner said: “The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained, no casualty has been reported. Islamabad and Rawalpindi rescue teams are busy in getting the fire under control.” In addition to the civil administration, the teams of Pakistan Navy were also helping in dousing the blaze and two of its fire brigade vehicles were engaged in fire control operations. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has taken notice of the incident. He has directed the deputy commissioner Islamabad to personally monitor the situation and ensure utilisation of all resources in controlling the fire. The minister has sought a report on the incident from the district administration of Islamabad. A senior officer of the authority has said this was not the first time that this bazaar caught fire. Similar incidents have taken place four times in the past, leaving shops destroyed and shopkeepers bearing losses of millions of rupees. He, however, blamed the high ups for their inaction against the official responsible of showing negligence. He demanded of the authorities to probe the whole issue thoroughly to avoid such incidents in future. Later, the Deputy Commissioner announced on twitter that fire has been controlled successfully while bazaar would remain sealed for tonight to avoid theft in rest of the area. He informed that about 20 percent area of the bazaar is damaged due to this fire incident but he announced that the bazaar would be open again on Friday as per its routine. He further wrote that a committee is formed to ascertain the facts and to avoid such incidents in future.