Items of millions of rupees burnt in Lahore store fire

LAHORE: Valuables including food, toys and crockery worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes when a fire erupted at a department store in Liberty Market due to an unknown reason on Monday morning.
The firefighting was continued until the filing of this report at 7pm. The six-storey building of the store was also badly damaged. Six persons received minor injuries during the ongoing operation. Rescue 1122 and Fire Brigade contained fire at the affected building and saved adjoining plazas.
The firefighters of Rescue 1122 and eyewitnesses told The News that fire erupted at the godown of the plaza set up at the upper storey of the building due to unknown reason at around 5:40am.
Twelve fire tenders of Rescue 1122, heavy contingent of Gulberg Police led by DSP Nasir Bajwa and Fire Brigade rushed to the scene after being informed and started rescue operation. Some of the employees, who were sleeping there, were evacuated by the rescuers safely.
Later on, the firefighting started using modern techniques and chemicals. As the six-storey plaza housed grocery, around 1,000 tin of ghee, crockery, toys and other valuables, fire engulfed the entire plaza within no time.
Firefighters devised strategy to contain fire at the affected plaza to save other buildings and deputed firefighters at the front and rear side of the building. Thick smoke continued billowing into the sky for the whole day as the fire consumed oil, plastic, furniture and other inflammable items.
The incident created panic among the shopkeepers of other plazas. They also reached the scene and started taking precautionary measures to avoid further loss. The supply of electricity was suspended while aerial showers were also used to control fire.
CCPO Lahore Amin Wains and DCO Lahore Capt (r) Usman also reached the scene and they personally supervised rescue operation. They directed officials and rescuers to utilise all-out resources to control fire without any delay. DSP Gulberg

Circle Nasir Bajwa and SHO Gulberg Zulfiqar Butt cordoned off the area to stop the public entry. Rescuers took measures to avoid loss in case the building had caved in. Most of the traders kept their businesses shut down as the chances of fire spread were high. The customers also avoided visiting the market due to poisonous smoke.
Mix statements of police officers and Rescuers were received about the cause of fire. Some were of the view that short-circuit had resulted into the horrific fire. The others alleged that someone had set the store on fire intentionally for business purposes. However, nothing concrete could be said as the firefighting was still going on.
A senior police officer said that once the fire would be completely controlled and cooling process would be done then the experts of firefighting would be able to reach some conclusion about the main cause of fire. Though the firefighters had an easy access to the plaza, the fire was so huge and the smoke was so thick that it caused breathing problems for firefighters. The firefighting started early in the morning continued even after 13 hours of the incident until the filing of this report at 7pm.
The store administration claimed that valuables worth millions of rupees burnt in the incident while the building was also badly damaged. Police and rescuers confirmed that there was no loss of life in the incident.