Huge fire rips through world famous Berlin Christmas market as stalls go up in flames and tourists evacuated

A HUGE fire ripped through a popular Christmas market in Berlin as tourists fled the area.

Dramatic photos show huge plumes of smoke rising above the market in front of the Red Town Hall in the German capital.

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Crowds were evacuated after a fire broke out at a Berlin Christmas market[/caption]

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Two stalls went up in flames on Tuesday evening[/caption]

Two people were rushed to hospital with injuries following the blaze on Tuesday evening.

Christmas shoppers were enjoying browsing stalls when two of the wooden huts went up in flames.

The market was evacuated as firefighters battled to extinguish the roaring blaze.

Emergency crews sealed off the area and turned off the electricity.

As emergency crews tackled the flames, two small gas cartridges exploded, reports Bild.

Police in Berlin are now investigating the cause of the fire.

An employee of the market was taken to hospital after suffering minor burns, while another person was treated for smoke inhalation.

A spokesman for Berlin fire department said: “At the Christmas market at the Red Town Hall, two stalls caught fire.

“The fire is extinguished. The site is under control.”

It comes after two people were arrested last week in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg after they allegedly plotted attacks on Christmas markets.

In Brandenburg, security measures have been stepped up, reports Berliner Zeitung.

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Smoke rose into the air after two huts caught on fire[/caption]