DUSHANBE, September 6, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- According to unconfirmed information, at least three persons – two men and one woman – have been killed in a fire at Dushanbe’s biggest merchandise market, Korvon.

Witnesses say they were killed while salvaging their properties.

The fire reportedly broke out at the market at a little after five.

Witnesses say the fire started in several places.  At first, guards and merchants even attempted to extinguish the fire on their own, but when the fire spread to several dozen shops the market guards called out the firemen.

Some 30 fire crews were involved in extinguishing the fire at the Korvon market.  They managed to put out the fire only in four hours.

Merchants running shops at the market say the wholesale storages of the market were destroyed completely.

Officers from the firefighting brigade are currently in the fire site to establish the cause of the fire.