Massive fire tears through Dhaka market, causes partial collapse

The massive fire that ravaged the DNCC Market in Dhaka's Gulshan-1 is yet to be put out, ten hours after it erupted in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The raging flames led to the collapse of a third of the two-storey shopping mall early in the morning.

As many as 22 firefighting units are on the spot since 2:30am to fight the fire.

But until 12pm, authorities were not yet sure how long it would take them to completely tame the fire.

No deaths have been reported in the incident so far, Dhaka North Mayor Annisul Huq told the media on Tuesday morning.

Though some shop owners suspect it to be an act of sabotage, the mayor said an electrical malfunction may have caused it.

The fire service is yet to comment on the cause of the fire.

"Can't say how this massive fire broke out," Gulshan police's Deputy Commissioner Mustak Ahmed told bdnews24.com around 3:45am from the spot.

The fire service said the flames started from the eastern part of the mall and later spread.

Firefighters arrived on the spot around 2:30am, Fire Service Control Room's Duty Officer Palash Chandra Modal told bdnewsw24.com.

A shop owner told bdnews24.com that the two-storey mall has almost 250 shops. Furniture shops occupy a large portion of the ground floor along with some eateries.

The kitchen market portion on the eastern side has been burnt down. The four-storey Gulshan Shopping Centre adjacent to it, however, remained unaffected.

The businesses on the first floor traded in food products, apparels, cosmetics, ornaments, toys and electronics.

bdnews24.com Chief News Photographer Mostafigur Rahman reported from the spot that around 4:15am , the south-eastern portion of the market collapsed and then another portion caved in.

The sobbing shop owners and keepers, who rushed to the spot on hearing the news, were seen helping the firefighters.

Abu Taleb Babul, the market committee president, told the media that it was an act of sabotage. Another shop trader had earlier said the fire was started deliberately.

"Some people came and took down the numbers of shops around 2am yesterday (Monday)...They might have set fire to the market by exploding a power transformer," Babul said.

Angry traders, counting the cost of ‘terrifying’ blaze, attacked the fire crew at around 4:40am after they said they had run out of water.

Several firefighters were injured in the incident, leaving the operation momentarily suspended.

Fire crew frantically try to douse the fire ravaging DCC Market in the capital's Gulshan-1 on Tuesday. bdnews24.com Senior Photographer Mostafigur Rahman clicked the photo at 5:15am.

Later, the firemen and shopkeepers removed a number of gas cylinders stored behind the kitchen market.

The fire service said unavailability of a nearby water source has made it hard for them to work. Firefighters had to connect their hoses to as far as the Gulshan Lake.

bdnews24.com's Mostafigur said from the spot at 7:45am that flames were still tearing through the portion that mainly houses food, cosmetics, and crockeries shops.

Around 8:30am, Dhaka North Mayor Anisul Huq arrived on the spot.

"It seems to be the fire has been caused by an electrical malfunction. We are yet to receive any reports on casualties," he told the media.

Replying a query on allegations of sabotage, he said, "The mayor cannot say it; the mayor is no sabotage expert. But I think the possibility of not being a sabotage is 99 percent."