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| March 22, 2003 | Saturday | Muharram 18, 1424 |
One killed as fire erupts in Raja Bazaar
RAWALPINDI, March 21: At least one rescue worker was killed, while a number of other people, including two fire fighters, were treated for suffocation at a hospital after being trapped in a fire that erupted in a multi-storey commercial building (Mughal Srai) at Raja Bazaar on Friday, witnesses said.
The fire erupted at around 10:45am and continued till the filing of this story late into the night despite hectic efforts made by a large number of fire fighters.
More than one-and-a-half dozen fire engines from the city and cantonment areas, Islamabad, Civil Aviation Authority and Attock Refinery were called on the scene. Extensive efforts were made by the fire fighters to stop the flames from spreading to an adjacent building owned by the Punjab law minister, the witnesses said.
By the evening, a larger number of shops had been evacuated by their owners as the fire spread, engulfing some other shops and threatening shopkeepers of the adjacent markets.
The fire, believed to have started from a cassettes’ shop owned by Ghaffar alias Pola, spread rapidly and blocked all entrances to the market.
Thick smoke which made breathing difficult also hampered the efforts to extinguish fire. Coughing and gasping for breath, rescue workers and fire fighters raced out of the market to get a breath of fresh air.
The rescue worker who died of suffocation was identified as Mohammad Maqsood Lodhi. He was from Fauji Foundation Headquarters.
According to a doctor at the District Headquarters Hospital, the patient was breathing his last when brought to the hospital.
“More than 20 people have been treated for having difficulty in breathing since morning. Still, the victims are coming from the scene of fire,” a doctor at the emergency ward said.
Mohammad Aslam, a civil defence volunteer, and fire fighters, Khalid and Javaid, were also shifted to the DHQ hospital after they fainted. However, their condition was said to be stable.
Mohammad Aslam, in his comments from the hospital bed, said he fainted while tearing down a wall to pave the way for other fire fighters.
In a late night move, troops with fire fighting equipment arrived on the scene to help the fire fighters.
A fire department official said the fire destroyed the multi-storey building as well as goods.
Besides, District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani, scores of policemen, led by SSP Moravat Shah, were also present on the scene.
Talking to reporters, Mr Kiani said an inquiry committee had been formed to investigate the cause of fire and to estimate the loss.
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