A fire broke out at a popular open market in central Bangkok on Dec 13, gutting some 120 shops and sending plumes of black smoke that could be seen all over the Thai capital.

A 21-year-old woman was treated for smoke inhalation.

Videos and photos posted on social media showed rows of covered stalls ablaze at the Jodd Fairs Rama 9 market.

The market, which is notable for its food stalls, is located on a block between a major department store along a thoroughfare and an office building.

It operates at night and opens at 4pm (5pm Singapore time), and was not crowded at the time of the blaze.

The fire was reported to the Huay Kwang district fire station shortly before 4.30pm.

It started at a garments shop and quickly spread to the other stalls, initial investigations showed.

“The situation was chaotic, as traders rushed to get their goods out of the area and officers worked to get the blaze under control. Firefighters brought the incident under control within 20 minutes,” the Thaiger online news site reported on Dec 14.

It said some 1.3 million baht (S$49,000) worth of clothing and other fashion items were lost in the fire.

Huay Kwang district chief Paitoon Ngammook said the market would be closed for at least seven days.

He said the district would compensate victims of the fire with cash payments of 11,000 baht per shop.