At least 50 shops were gutted in Nupur Market and Hawkers Market under Maijdee upazila of Noakhali on Saturday.

Being informed, eight units of Maijdee Fire Station rushed to the spot and doused the blaze with the help of locals and affected businessmen after three hours of efforts, said Abdul Halim Pasha, deputy assistant director of Maizdi Fire Service and Civil Defene.

About 50 shops, including a wholesale clothes shop, bicycle shop, printing house, paper warehouse, shoe shop and hotel, were burnt to ashes in the fire.

The fire originated from a printing house adjacent to the market around 11:30 pm on Saturday and soon engulfed the adjacent business establishments, he said.

The extent of the damage from the fire is about Tk30 crore, the owners of the shops claimed.

The cause of the fire and the total extent of the damage will be known after the investigation, deputy assistant director Abdul Halim Pasha said.