Market fire in Managua

This item appears on page 64 of the July 2017 issue.

A fire at the Mercado Oriental in Managua, Nicaragua, burned more than 60 shops on May 14. No one was seriously injured. 

The large market in the central Ciudad Jardin district is not regulated by any governing body, and stalls and shops are built as needed. Fire officials said they were unable to halt the spread of the fire because shops had been built over or in front of fire hydrants. 

It is estimated that there are 20,000 shops in the market, with more than 100,000 visitors each day.