By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Apr 4 (IANS): A massive fire erupted on Tuesday at the Bangabazar in Dhaka -- the biggest wholesale market in Bangladesh, officials said, adding that that the blaze has spread to more than six buildings and a nearby residential area.

Over 6,000 people own shops in the market.

Fire officials said that the market neither have any fire extinguishers nor a fire protection system.

Some shop owners have said that the blaze was pre-planned and demanded a probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, 50 fire units are currently pressed into service to douse the flames. Military and Air Force helicopters are showering the affected areas with water.

Rafi Al Faruk, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room, told IANS that the blaze erupted at around 6.10 a.m.

Without giving a probable cause of the blaze, Faruk confirmed that there were no reports of any casualties so far.

Black smoke has engulfed the area, hampering the firefighting operations, he added.