KARACHI, March 6: Hundreds of shops along with the bulk of fruit and vegetables in auction sheds were destroyed in a major fire that broke out in the new Sabzi Mandi on the Superhighway on Wednesday.

Although cause of the fire was not clear, Chief Fire Officer Saleem Ehtesham said that dry and gusty winds fuelled the blaze.

Some 22 fire tenders took part in the seven-hour-long firefighting operation and managed to extinguish it by the evening, said the officer.

There were difficulties in getting water due to power load-shedding in the area, he said.

Besides, he added, mismanagement on the part of the shopkeepers created hurdles in the operation, as everyone was pulling firemen to save their shops first.

According to the estimates given by the traders, around 500 shops were gutted in the fire.