2nd LD Writethru: Fire devours business center in Kabul

A business center in the western edge of Afghan capital Kabul city caught fire on Thursday, inflicting millions of U.S. dollars to those having shops there, eyewitnesses and shop owners said.

"I have lost what I had in my shop," a shopkeeper Abdul Hamid told Xinhua.

According to eyewitnesses, the 10th floor of Abasin Zadran business center which served as hotel caught fire at around 10:30 a.m. local time and fire fighters have arrived to extinguish the fire.

"Due to lack of facilities to extinguish the fire and poor equipments of the fire fighters, the fire engulfed to the ninth, eighth floor and finally devoured the whole market," Hamid said.

Another shopkeeper Haroon said no one was able to take his goods out of the business center.

According to Haroon, hundreds of shops have been ruined and millions of U.S. dollars have turned to ash in the devastating incident within hours.

Officials have yet to make comment on the incident. However, some shopkeepers believe that circuit shock might have caused the devastating fire at the business center. Enditem