ECONOMY — June 20, 2026

Fire at Noor Ariana Paper Factory in Herat Causes 20 Million Afghanis in Damage

Emergency teams contained the blaze that started at 3:12 a.m., protecting neighboring property and goods worth 650 million Afghanis with no casualties reported, while the cause remains under investigation.

The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Khaama Press2 min read

Fire at Noor Ariana Paper Factory in Herat Causes 20 Million Afghanis in Damage
Image courtesy Khaama Press

A fire broke out at 3:12 a.m. on Saturday at the Noor Ariana paper and cardboard factory in the second phase of Herat’s industrial park. Damage to the facility is estimated at 20 million Afghanis.

Emergency teams contained the blaze and protected neighboring property and goods valued at approximately 650 million Afghanis. No casualties or injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined. Investigations are ongoing. Abdul Matin Qani, spokesman for the Taliban-run Interior Ministry, provided the details of the incident.

Read the original reporting at Khaama Press

Reliability assessment

Single source provides direct on-record attribution from named Taliban Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Qani with specific details (exact time, location, damage figures, protected value). Core event is attributable and concrete.

The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Khaama Press: "raising concerns about industrial safety standards", "further strain businesses already operating under difficult economic conditions" - these phrases introduce opinionated framing and imply systemic failure without direct attribution, mixing factual reporting with advocacy-style commentary on safety and economic issues.

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EconomyHerat, Noor Ariana factory, industrial fire, Abdul Matin Qani, Taliban Interior Ministry

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