A devastating fire razed the Rajdhani Supermarket in the capital’s Tikatuli on Wednesday afternoon.
The fire originated at about 5:15pm and burnt the market that houses about 1,700 shops, said Fire Service officials.
No casualties were reported immediately.
Some 25 units of fire-fighters doused the flame about 7:10pm.
Billowing smog were seen over the market that housed mostly shops of clothes and cosmetics.
The market, established by the Muktijudha Kalyan Trust under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, has some 1,700 shops mostly selling saris, shoes, dress designing material, cosmetics, among others.
Fire Service deputy director Devashish Bardhan told reporters that the fire originated about 5:15pm but the cause of the fire was still unknown.
The fire originated from a shop on the northeast side on the first floor of the market, he said, adding that they were yet to know the reason behind the blaze.
‘We still don’t have any cases of casualties,’ he said at about 7:30pm.
‘We’ll start a search soon in the market,’ he said.
Devashish said 25 units of fire-fighters managed to douse the flame in about two hours’ effort.
Shop keepers suspected that the fire could be originated from a welding workshop near the market.
Witnesses said the smoke was spotted from the east side of the two-storey corrugated sheet-shed market suddenly at about 5:15pm.
Narayan Chandra, who owns a shop on the ground floor, said he went to the washroom on the first floor when he saw fire erupting from a mattress shop.
Bablu, owner of a shop on the first floor, said welding work was underway by the mattress shop which caused the fire.
Panicked, shopkeepers and shoppers started hue and cry after the smoke was noticed.
The road communication was topped by police to ease the work of the fire fighters.
