A fire has burnt down at least 30 shops at the Railway Market in the trade hub of Chowmuhani in Noakhali.
The blaze erupted around 5 am on Wednesday and it swept through the market afterwards, according to Purna Chandra, acting director of Noakhali Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Locals noticed the flames after the Fajr prayers and rushed to the scene to put out the fire, but it began spreading across the market by then, said traders who lost their shops to the fire, according to bdnews24.com.
Twelve firefighting units launched an effort to douse the fire immediately after the incident was reported.
Over 30 businesses, including crockeries shops, restaurants, hotels and warehouses, were affected by the fire, according to the fire service.
“The fire spread quickly as the shops stored various flammable materials. Firefighters tamed the flames after two hours,” Purna Chandra said.
Traders said they face big losses almost every year due to incidents of fire at the market. This is the fourth time a fire has been reported at the market in the last three years.
The authorities could not immediately determine the extent of the damage, but traders claimed that it was worth millions.