Massive fire guts thousands of shops in Bangladesh's Dhaka

A devastating fire gutted thousands of shops in a big market in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka early, according to eyewitnesses and fire officials.

The fire started in the early morning at Bangabazar Market which is famous for clothes and readymade garments early on Tuesday, likely sparing people from potential danger.

Firefighters and army personnel were working to douse the massive fire that raged through a shopping complex with 3,000 shops.

There were no casualties reported so far in the fire but army personnel had been called in to help after flames spread rapidly in the cramped, crowded area of Bangabazar, home to the country's famed cloth markets.

Fire service official Rashid Bin Khalid told Reuters news agency that 50 fire units were working to douse the fire, the cause of which was not known immediately.

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'Never seen such a fire'

Most of the shops were burnt to ashes in the fire, but there was no information on whether any people were trapped inside, given that the fire broke in the early hours of the morning before most shops had opened, Khalid said.

Smoke engulfed the area and flames were seen rising from the complex, hampering rescue efforts, a fire official said.

"I have never seen such a fire in my life. Everything in my shop was burnt down," Abdul Mannan said while talking to his relatives on his phone as he broke down in tears.

Shopkeepers in Bangabazar, which houses mostly cloth stores, had stocked up in preparation for the festival of Eid, and most of their goods were destroyed in the fire, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Many merchants tried to save some of their belongings but failed as the fire spread quickly.

Fires are common in commercial places in Bangladesh because of lax monitoring and lack of fire safety arrangements.

But the country’s garment industry, which has had devastating fires in the past, has improved significantly over the last decade.

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