NABLUS (Ma'an) -- A huge fire destroyed 14 shops late Thursday in a marketplace in Nablus in the northern West Bank.

Despite heavy rain, the fire spread quickly at the market for used goods. Firefighters battled the blaze for five hours, finally extinguishing it at 4 a.m. Friday.

Fourteen of the 40 stores in the market were completely burnt out, a Ma'an reporter said.