'One billion kyats' worth of property lost in Mandalay fire

'One billion kyats' worth of property lost in Mandalay fire



MANDALAY: -- The City Municipal Department of Mandalay announced on Thursday that Tuesday’s fire in Mingalar Market had destroyed more than one billion kyats (over US$825,000) worth of property, according to The Irrawaddy.

The department said in the statement that the market would need to be completely rebuilt as it is currently in danger of collapsing, adding that a temporary market venue would open as soon as possible.

An investigation team, which included engineers, inspected the burned building this week and found that it was not strong enough to withstand restoration. The department has decided to demolish it immediately and began reconstruction.

More than 200 of Mingalar Market’s 480 shops had been completely razed by the fire, the cause of which is not yet known. Shop owners said they had hoped that the building could be fixed, rather than re-constructed, as they fear that the contractors will sell them their shop spaces back at increased prices which they will not be able to afford.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/156793

-- Thai PBS 2016-03-25