KABUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out at a wholesale shoe market in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, early Sunday, destroying goods worth an estimated 700,000 U.S. dollars, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said in a statement.

The blaze engulfed 10 warehouses and eight shops in Police District 1, reducing them to ashes, according to the statement.

Firefighting teams brought the fire under control and prevented further losses estimated at 150 million afghanis (about 2.26 million U.S. dollars), the statement added.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and an investigation is underway.

The area where the fire broke out, located in central Kabul, is considered Afghanistan's largest commercial market. Thousands of people from across the country visit this market daily to procure their commercial goods and essential supplies. Enditem