WUHAN - Two people have been confirmed dead and one was injured in a market fire Wednesday in Central China's Hubei province, local authorities said.

The fire, breaking out around 2:20 pm at the Zhangwan Farmers Market in Zhangwan District in the city of Shiyan, was extinguished two hours later. It engulfed an area of more than 8,000 square meters, said an official with the district's work safety bureau.

Firefighters have found two bodies by 10 pm and they are still clearing the debris to establish if there are more casualties.

An initial investigation found that the fire was triggered when a stall owner used a flame spray gun to clear pig hairs to prepare dishes.