A devastating fire swept through a commercial area, destroying more than 50 business setups and leaving the business community in fear.

The incident took place in Madhaiya Bazar, Chandina, Comilla district in Bangladesh on December 29.

Visuals show the area completely engulfed in a massive blaze, with shops and surrounding infrastructure consumed by the flames, and thick smoke billowing into the dark night sky, highlighting the intensity of the disaster.

According to reports, the fire started around 11:45 pm on Sunday at a sweet shop and quickly spread to nearby businesses, causing significant damage. Firefighters from three Comilla stations responded promptly, arriving around 12:30 am. After an hour-long battle involving six fire units, the blaze was finally brought under control by 1:30 am. The information was confirmed by Comilla Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Liton Das on Monday morning.

Das explained that while the Chandina Fire Service was the first to arrive, they initially struggled to contain the fire. However, the Daudkandi and Comilla Fire Stations later joined forces to successfully extinguish the flames.

Md Toufiqul Islam Bhuiyan, Assistant Director of Comilla Fire Service, stated that preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated from a stove in the sweet shop. The exact cause will be determined after further investigation. Fortunately, while all the affected establishments were businesses, no casualties or injuries have been reported.