Fire incident causes massive damage to markets in Chattogram

A fire incident has caused massive damage to markets in Chattogram.    

The fire incident took place at Zahur Hawkers' Market and adjoining Jalalabad Market under Kotwali police station in the port city in the early hours today.

The traders of the market are incurring huge loss as their goods worth crores of taka have been burnt to ashes. No causalities were reported till filing of this report at 9:50am.

Being informed, 15 firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after hectic efforts.

According to media report, over 100 shops were gutted in the devastating fire at Zahur Hawker’s Market adjacent to New Market in the port city.

Md Jashim Uddin, assistant director (media), Fire Service, said the fire broke out at 3:50 am at the market and soon spread to adjoining Jalalabad market.

Fire fighters from Agrabad, Nandankanon, Chandanpur and Kalurghat fire stations brought the blaze under control around 6 am.

The origin of the fire and the extent of losses will be known after investigation, Jashim added.

Mohammad Hossain Babul, president of Zahur Hawker’s Market Traders’ Association, said many traders have become pauper as the fire burned down valuables worth Tk 3 crore.

The market will remain shut on Saturday, he said.

The hawkers market is one of the most popular destinations of the city dwellers which houses several hundred tailoring shops, cloth shops and warehouses.