A devastating fire has charred nine shops and five houses in Barishal’s Bakerganj Upazila.

Fire service personnel took control of the situation in the early hours of Friday after battling the flames for around three and a half hours.

No one was injured in the incident, according to Md Abul Kashem, an officer at the Bakerganj Fire Station.

Authorities believe the fire was sparked by an electrical malfunction.

A bakery, a storage unit, a décor shop, a mobile phone shop, and a clothing store were among the structures gutted by the fire.

Abul Kashem said the extent of the damage cannot be determined without a proper investigation, but traders claimed they incurred losses of around Tk 100 million due to the fire.