Madar (Bamako) - A fire that broke out at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, destroyed dozens of shops at the Grand Marché in the Malian capital Bamako, causing heavy material damage but no loss of life, Mali's state news agency AMAP reported from the scene.
According to the agency, the fire gutted shops on Rue du 18 juin, burning bales of fabric and large sums of cash, and initial estimates put the number of affected shops in the dozens. The fire reportedly started in one trader's shop before spreading to neighbouring ones, and much of the area had already been ravaged by early morning.
Traders told AMAP their shops had been completely destroyed, along with their goods and savings. One fabric seller lost a safe containing 1.5 million CFA francs.
The regional director of Civil Protection for the Bamako District, Colonel Adama Diatigui Diarra, said his teams had been on site since 4:33 a.m., supported by the national police, but narrow access routes and difficulties in obtaining water once again complicated the operation.
The official handling current affairs at the Bamako District town hall noted that shops and kiosks set up by traders block passageways and hinder access for rescue trucks. The town hall plans to meet market managers, traders' associations and security services shortly to clear access routes and strengthen prevention in all markets under its responsibility.
The agency recalled that the same part of the Grand Marché was hit by a fire in 2017, and that another fire, also without casualties, struck the Medina Coura market this year. The exact cause of Wednesday's fire has yet to be determined.
