Lakshmipur, Nov 07 (V7N) — A devastating fire gutted at least 15 shops at Alexander Bazaar, the headquarters of Ramgati Upazila in Lakshmipur, early Friday morning.

According to locals, the fire broke out around 4 am due to an electrical short circuit in a grocery shop and quickly spread to adjacent establishments.

Upon receiving the news, two units of the Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after nearly two hours of frantic effort.

The affected shop owners estimated the losses at around Tk 50 lakh, as most of the goods were completely destroyed before the fire could be contained.

Earlier in October, three separate fires in different markets of the same upazila had burned down about 30 shops within a week, raising concerns about fire safety measures in local marketplaces.

END/SMA/AJ