Fire guts 19 shops in Khagrachhari’s Guimara

An electrical short circuit is believed to have sparked the fire at a market in Guimara's Jaliapara

At least 19 shops have been destroyed after a fire ripped through a market in Khagrachhari’s Guimara Upazila.

The fire broke out around 1:45am on Sunday at the "Hajji Ismail Market" in the Jaliapara area, according to Md Enamul Haque Chowdhury, chief of Guimara Police Station.

Witnesses said the flames spread rapidly, giving shop owners no time to save their goods.

“The fire engulfed the entire row of shops within moments. We could do nothing -- everything is gone,” said a trader.

Local residents and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel worked in tandem to tame the fire. But with no Fire Service station in Guimara, it took firefighters a long time to arrive, worsening the losses.

“The fire started at a tyre shop. Informed of the matter, a team from the Matiranga Fire Station arrived and managed to douse the flames after nearly one and a half hours of effort. By then, 19 shops had been reduced to ashes,” said Enamul.

He said the fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

The extent of the losses, however, could not be confirmed immediately.