Market fire destroys dozens of shops in Buthidaung Twsp

By DMG 30 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
30 May 2022, Buthidaung 

A fire broke out at Nyaungchaung bazaar in Arakan State’s Buthidaung Township early Monday morning, destroying at least 25 shops. 

An official from the Nyaungchaung Border Guard Force in Buthidaung Township said a case was being prepared in connection with the fire. 

“We are preparing to open a case over the fire and are investigating some suspects. The cause of the fire is still being investigated,” said Police Inspector Maung Aye, head of the Nyaungchaung Border Guard Force. 

The fire started at around 2 a.m. on May 30 and was extinguished by local villagers. The blaze destroyed nearly 30 shops including kiosks selling rice and groceries, as well as blacksmith workshops and restaurants, according to locals. 

Vendors at the market say the damage to property and the value of goods lost in the fire is estimated to be in the tens of millions of kyats.  

“I sell food items at my shop built of bamboo. Food items worth about K3 million were destroyed in the fire. If the villagers had not put out the fire, my whole shop would have burned down,” said Daw Aung Thein Phyu, who sells assorted foodstuffs. 

Officials from the township fire brigade and Border Guard Force were continuing to investigate the cause of the fire and security personnel were deployed near the market on Monday, according to locals. 

The Nyaungchaung bazaar hosts more than 300 shops, and is located between Arakanese and Muslim villages in the area.