A fire broke out in Khalid Plaza, Al-Kareem Market of Urdu Bazar near Lohari Gate, Lahore on Monday evening apparently due to a short circuit in which 13 people, including a woman, were killed and two were injured.
More casualties are feared as fire fighters of Rescue 1122 and the fire brigade are still trying to overcome the fire.
The fire broke out at 5.32 pm in the evening and intensified within 10 minutes. So intense was the fire, that it trapped a number of people inside.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Jam Sajjad Hussain said that the operation was underway and the real cause of the fire could only be ascertained once the blaze has been put out. He added that 16 firefighting vehicles and around 80 firefighters are trying to overcome the blaze while 25 ambulances were present to evacuate the dead and injured to the hospital.
“More casualties are feared since we haven’t managed to overcome the fire completely as yet,” said Hussain, adding that the building has only one entry and exit point.
One of the firefighters told The Express Tribune that they could not predict how many of people were still inside the building. Rescue services and fire brigade officials were also facing problems owing to low visibility and narrow streets and the large crowd gathered at the scene.
SP City Asad Sarfraz Khan said he had to use a loud speaker on multiple occasions to ask the gathered crowd to clear the area outside the affected building so that the rescue workers could work unhindered.
However, District Co-ordination Officer Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman said that the fire broke out due to short-circuit.
One of the shopkeepers of the market, Abu Bakar Butt, told The Express Tribune that Waleed, the son of the market union’s president was also among the dead.
MS Mayo Hospital Dr Amjad Shahzad confirmed that 12 bodies had been brought to them, including that of a woman. He added that initial examination of the dead showed that most had died of suffocation, while some had also suffered from burns.
One of the injured Mazhar Afzal, who suffered 15 per cent burn injuries was discharged after treatment. The dead were identified by their relatives.
Meanwhile, CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the fire and asked the city district government to submit the report of the incident within 24 hours.
“All the resources should be utilized in saving the lives of the people who are in the Khalid Plaza and best treatment facilities should be provided to the injured people who are rescued,” said Sharif.
Monday 29 December 2014
http://tribune.com.pk/story/814038/fire-in-lahore-shopping-centre-leaves-12-dead-10-injured/
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