Massive fire gutted 7 shops in Bhola

A devastating fire swept through a market at Borhanuddin upazila of Bhola district early Sunday morning, destroying at least seven shops and causing losses worth crores of taka.

The fire broke out around 4:30AM at Gafurganj Bazar of Bormaanika union area and quickly spread to nearby stores.

Local people initially tried to control the blaze before a team from Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene. Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control after nearly an hour of effort.

Fire service officials said five shops were completely gutted while two others suffered partial damage.

Affected traders said the flames spread so rapidly that they had no opportunity to remove any belongings. Many of them claimed to have lost their life savings and business capital in the incident.

Senior Fire Fighter Md Siddiqur Rahman said preliminary findings suggest the fire may have originated from an electrical short circuit. However, the exact cause and the total extent of damage will be determined after a full investigation.

He added that the closely packed structure of the market allowed the fire to spread quickly, though the prompt response by firefighters helped prevent further destruction.

NR/TZ