Fire guts cinema hall, 20 shops in Mymensingh

At least 20 shops, including the historic Jhaljhal Cinema Hall, were gutted in a fire in Gauripur municipal town in Mymensingh.

The fire broke out at the cinema hall around 2:15am on Wednesday.

Four Fire Service and Civil Defence units brought the blaze under control at around 3:40am after nearly two hours of efforts.

Mymensingh Fire Service Assistant Director Purna Chandra Mutsuddi confirmed the incident, saying the fire gutted an LPG cylinder warehouse adjacent to the cinema hall, a shop selling decoration materials, a second-hand clothing shop, and several other businesses.

The exact cause of the fire will be determined after an investigation, the official said. 

Locals said Jhaljhal Cinema Hall had been operating in an old historic zamindar house.