Several traditional shops gutted in Al Dhaid market fire

Sharjah: Dozens of shops selling traditional Emirati items were gutted after a fire engulfed a market next to Al Dhaid Fort in the wee hours of Thursday, Sharjah Civil Defence told Gulf News.

The operations room received a call about the fire at 3.14am and the firefighters brought it under control soon, according to a spokesperson of Sharjah Civil Defence.

No casualties were reported, he said.

The spokesperson added that firefighters also managed to avert an explosion by removing a gas cylinder in the market.

Videos on social media showed cooling operations continued on Thursday morning.

The Civil Defence spokesperson said the market was constructed in the traditional architectural style using wood and different parts of the palm tree. "It housed several small shops selling traditional food, garments, perfumes etc," he said.

The cause of the fire is being investigated and the losses are being estimated, he added.