Hundreds of firefighters have been battling a fire that tore through a crowded shopping complex in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka.

Images from the scene showed black smoke billowing from the burning complex as firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.

No deaths have been reported, but shop owners and fire officials told reporters that the famous Bongo Bazar and three adjacent markets had been gutted.

The markets housed thousands of clothing shops in one of Dhaka’s busiest precincts, home to its most prestigious university and the national police headquarters.

This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com