DHAKA, Bangladesh - A massive fire destroyed several hundred shops in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital.
There were no casualties when the fire swept through the area early Thursday morning, before stores opened.
Officials said it took six hours for military forces and firefighters to put out the fire, which spread quickly in the Mohammadpur market due to the large amount of flammable items like cooking oil and plastics.
According to Shahjahan Sikder, a fire service official, the fire was most likely caused by an electric short circuit.
"This shop was essential to my family. What should I do now? "Everything was consumed by fire," a shop owner told local media.
Fires are common in densely populated Dhaka, which has seen a recent building boom, often without proper safety measures. Fires and explosions are frequently caused by faulty gas cylinders, air conditioners and electrical wiring.
In April, a fire in a Dhaka shopping complex injured several firefighters and destroyed 5,000 stores.
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