A fire, that broke out at a market in Monywa, northwestern Sagaing division, on Thursday, has destroyed a total of 400 shops, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Friday.

The three-hour fire raged the Chindwin Yadana New Market before dawn but was put out with the use of 35 fire engines and 12 water tankers, the report said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, the report added.

The Monywa market fire represented the third of its kind during this year after Yangon's Thingungyun's and Mingalazay's.

Of them, the day-long violent Mingalazay fire on May 24, caused by electric shock through negligence, burned down 845 shops including 399 cosmetics shops, 398 pharmaceuticals shops on the fourth floor and 48 other food stalls on the top floor.

Four people including three firefighters and one civilian were injured with no deaths reported.

The total loss, which includes that of the market building, shops, warehouses, food stalls and various goods, is estimated at 23.336 billion Kyats (about 24.4 million US dollars), registering as the biggest ever loss in terms of market fire.