12 shops gutted in Kishoreganj

Some twelve shops were gutted in a devastating fire in the Pithua Bazaar area under Karimganj upazila of Kishoreganj on Wednesday morning.

Witness Rejaul Habib Reja said the fire originated from an electrical short circuit at a workshop of one Fazlur Rahman around 9:30am and soon engulfed the nearby shops.

Kishoreganj Fire Service Station Deputy Assistant Director Prannath Saha said: “On information, fire fighters from Kishoreganj fire services rushed to the spot and doused the blaze with the help of locals after a frantic effort of two hours.”

He said the shop owners claimed a loss worth Tk1 crore in the fire.

Meanwhile, Monzir Mia, a businessman of Pithua Bazaar, died in an cardiac arrest after the incident.

Karimganj police station Officer-in-charge Md Akhteruzzaman said: "Monzir's shop was also gutted in the fire. He had a cardiac arrest while trying to douse the blaze."

OC said: "He died when rushed to Kishoreganj Modern Sadar Hospital around 3pm."