Irkutsk Fires cont...

Following the fire which destroyed the Shanghai market, several smaller fires have broken out over the last few days.

The fires appear to have occured near or in sheds where Chinese traders stored their goods. Yesterday morning Chinese traders were moving large amounts of goods out of storage areas, as fire crews continued to douse flames.

In the evening, several fire damaged containers could be seen from the road, and a large area of the pavement was covered in caps, as a result of the water pumped into the storage areas.

The site of the Shanghai market has already been completely cleared, leaving a large space for development. According to reports on babr.ru, the city mayor has announced a multi-storey car park for the site.

In conversation with a local shop assistant, little sympathy was shown for the traders' plights. 'They will get a new place or go back to China. Who knows who starts the fires? Less talk, longer live'.

'Shanghai' Market Burns Down

Fairly major event in central Irkutsk last night - one of the markets in the centre of the city burnt down.

The centre of Irkutsk has several blocks of markets, with most traders appearing to be either Chinese or from Former Soviet Republics. The burnt section is called Shanghai, and houses mostly clothes shops run by Chinese traders.

According to local news site Babr.ru, the rumours about the causes of the fire are based around criminal gangs, control of the market and the desire to move Chinese traders out of the centre of the city. Apparently security may have been distracted by fake fights staged nearby.

The article references the semi-legal status of many of the shops, traders and suppliers that work from the market, the stories of criminal gangs controlling the land and the market, and also the city administration's frustration with getting traders to move out. When wandered up to see what was going on, a bulldozer was leveling the place. I am unsure whether a thorough investigation of the cause of the fire had been carried out

I can't say whether any of the allegations are true (although everyone I meet has the same opinion).

What I can vouch for is the reference to 'young men of strong physique blocking reporters, photographers and television crews'. I managed 3 happy snaps before a group of men told me to 'go away' in no uncertain terms.