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2nd LD: Firefighters contain blaze in Dhaka's overcrowded Gulistan street market

Xinhua, February 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

A massive blaze that razed a multistoried wholesale market in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka's overcrowded Gulistan street has been contained.

Fourteen fire fighting units managed to bring the flames under control two hours after the fire originated at around 8:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, Shakil Newaz, director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, told journalists.

"The massive blaze burned for more than two hours," he said.

"Fire crews remain at the scene of the blaze as smoke still billows from some stores locked from inside," he said.

The four-storey market building is jam packed with hundreds of clothing and footwear wholesale stores.

No injuries or damage have so far been reported.

The cause of the fire remains unknown. Endit