NOAKHALI: At least 16 shops were gutted in a fire at Sadar upazila here during early hours today. The fire broke out at Mannannagar Bazar of Aojabalia union under Sadar upazila at 12.45am, said Maizdi Fire Service Station officer Abdul Kader.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, eyewitnesses reported that the fire originated from a nearby tea stall and rapidly spread throughout the market. Local people immediately rushed to the spot and attempted to extinguish the flames.
Upon receiving information, two firefighting units from Maizdi Fire Service Station and one from Subarnachar Fire Service Station arrived at the scene. They managed to douse the blaze after an hour of intense efforts. The gutted shops included a cloth shop, three tea stalls, a chicken shop, and three grocery shops.
Victims of the fire estimated the total damages to be around 1.50 crore.