Thursday, 03 June 2010 18:14 Myint Maung
New Delhi (Mizzima) - A devastating fire swept through New Chindwin Yadana Market in Monywa on Thursday morning, gutting 406 shops and destroying goods worth over 165.6 million Kyats (US $ 165,600), Monywa Central Fire Department sources said.
The fire started at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday and raged till 10:30 a.m. The blaze razed 406 shops in the market, which sold fish paste (used in Burmese cuisine), dry fish, gold, clothes, footwear, and a variety of food items.
“The fire was extinguished at 10:30 a.m. but 253 shops on the ground floor and 153 shops on the first floor of the two-storey market building were gutted. Goods worth 165.6 million Kyat (US $ 165,000)”, was destroyed, an official of the Monywa Central Fire Department said.
“The shop owners were unable to save any of the goods because the fire blocked the entrances. The fire broke out after midnight and almost everything was burnt,” a person living near the market told Mizzima.
The market has two buildings located on the east and west of Bogyoke Road, the main road in Monywa. There are around 1600 rooms in the market. The fire destroyed the building in the east. The building on the west is closed.
About 39 fire engines from Monywa, Sarlingyi, Pearl, Myinmu, and Alone fought the blaze. Some firefighters were still extinguishing the smouldering remains till 3 p.m.
The market security personnel believe the fire started from an electrical short circuit. The Monywa Central Fire Department said it started from an inverter.
Fire breaking out in markets in Burma is becoming common. On May 24, fire gutted 845 shops in Mingala Market, Rangoon Division and destroyed goods worth about 20,000 million Kyat. In February, fire razed 651 shops in Thingangyun Market in Rangoon Division.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Subscribe to email feed
