Twenty three shops of a furniture market and four houses have been gutted in two separate fires in Baluchara and Bakalia in the port city early Monday.
Jasim Uddin, deputy assistant director (DAD) of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters in Agrabad, said a fire broke out from an electric short circuit at a shop and soon engulfed the entire furniture market in the Baluchara area.
On being informed, firefighters from two units reached the scene and put out the fire after five hours of hectic efforts around 9am, said the DAD.
23 shops were gutted in the fire while the extent of losses caused by the fire has been estimated at Tk25 lakh, added the fire service official.
Four houses were gutted in another fire in the Bolirhat area of Bakalia.
DAD Jasim said the fire also originated from an electric short circuit at one house around 4am and soon spread to the adjacent homes, burning down Tk4 lakh worth of valuables.
Upon receiving information, firefighters from Kalurghat Fire Station rushed to the spot and doused the flame after an hour, said Jasim.
Md Azad, a local resident, sustained injuries after being electrocuted, while the firefighters were trying to put out the blaze, added the official.