Massive fire tears through Gulshan market, causes partial collapseThe massive fire that ripped through the DCC Market in Dhaka's Gulshan-1 is yet to be put out, eight hours after it broke out at the wee hours of Tuesday. The raging flames caused a third of the two-storey shopping mall to collapse in a heap early in the morning. As many as 22 firefighting units are on the scene since 2:30am, but until 10am authorities could not say how long it will take them to completely douse it. No deaths have been reported in the incident, Dhaka North Mayor Anisul Huq told the media at the spot in the morning. Though some shop owners suspect it to be an act of sabotage, the Mayor said he thinks an electrical malfunction may have caused it. The fire service is yet to comment on it. "Can't say how this massive fire broke out," Gulshan police's Deputy Commissioner Mustak Ahmed told bdnews24.com around 3:45am from the spot. The fire service said the flames started from the eastern part of the mall and later spread.

Firefighters arrived at the scene around 2:30am, Fire Service Control Room's Duty Officer Palash Chandra Modal told bdnewsw24.com. A shop owner told bdnews24.com that the two-storey mall houses almost 250 shops. Furniture shops occupy a large portion of the ground floor along with some eatery.  The kitchen market portion on the eastern side has been burnt down. The four-storey Gulshan Shopping Centre adjacent to it, however, remained unharmed. The businesses on the first floor traded in food item, apparels, cosmetics, ornaments, toys and electronics.  bdnews24.com Chief News Photographer Mostafigur Rahman reported from the scene that around 4:15am the Southeast portion of the market collapsed followed by another portion caving in.  The sobbing shop owners and keepers, who rushed to the scene hearing the news, were helping the firefighters. The kitchen market portion on the eastern side has been burnt down. The four-storey Gulshan Shopping Centre adjacent to it, however, remained unharmed. The businesses on the first floor traded in food item, apparels, cosmetics, ornaments, toys and electronics.

 bdnews24.com Chief News Photographer Mostafigur Rahman reported from the scene that around 4:15am the Southeast portion of the market collapsed followed by another portion caving in.  The sobbing shop owners and keepers, who rushed to the scene hearing the news, were helping the firefighters. Abu Taleb Babul, the market committee president, told the media that it was an act of sabotage. Another shop trader had earlier said the fire was started deliberately. "Some people came and took down the numbers of shops around 2am yesterday (Monday)...They might have set fire to the market by exploding a power transformer," Babul said.

Angry traders, counting the cost of ‘terrifying’ blaze, attacked fire crew at around 4:40am after they said they had run out of water. Several firefighters were injured in the incident, leaving the operation momentarily suspended. Later, the firemen and shopkeepers removed a number of gas cylinders stored behind the kitchen market. The fire service said unavailability of a nearby water source has made it hard for them to work. Firefighters had to connect their hoses to as far as the Gulshan Lake. bdnews24.com's Mostafigur said from the scene at 7:45am that flames were still tearing through the portion that chiefly houses food, cosmetics, and crockeries shops. Around 8:3am, Dhaka North Mayor Anisul Huq arrived on the scene. "It seems to be a fire that has been caused by an electrical malfunction. We are yet to receive reports on casualties," he told the media.

Replying a query on allegations of sabotage, he said, "The mayor cannot say it; the mayor is no sabotage expert. But I think the possibility of not being sabotage is 99 percent."

bdnews24.com/TF