Massive fire at biggest clothing market in Bangladesh

A massive fire raced through one of the biggest clothing markets here in the Bangladesh capital on Tuesday, officials said.

The fire broke out at the Bangabazar market around 6:10 am but no casualties were reported, officials were quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. According to Rafi Al Faruk, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room, 47 units of the fire service are working to control the fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be known. The first unit of firefighters reached the scene within two minutes, said Anwarul Islam Dolon, an official in the media department of the Fire Service.

Eyewitnesses said that owners and employees of shops in the market rushed to the spot after hearing the news of the fire. They were seen removing goods from their stores and moving them to a safe location. Bangabazar, one of the biggest markets in the country, houses clothes stores constructed of tin and wood in its labyrinthine structure.