LAHORE, Jan 18: A fire broke out at a studio in Pakistan Television’s Lahore Centre on Thursday evening damaged furniture, two sets and equipment. “The fire erupted owing to a short-circuit at Studio-B at 7:20pm when interview recording for ‘Rata Gaiy’ was in progress,” an eyewitness told this reporter on condition of anonymity.

He said the smoke engulfed the whole studio, adjacent rooms and corridors, and nothing was clear even two hours after the incident. Panic gripped the employees and visitors, he said.

However, a Ptv spokesman, on behalf of the general manager, denied it, saying no programme was going on at the time of incident.

He could not estimate the exact loss owing to smoke even after three hours.

Four fire brigades extinguished the fire after a one-hour struggle. Several ambulances of Rescue 1122 and Edhi rushed to the centre and took part in the rescue operation. However, no one was injured.

Lahore managing director Ashraf Azeem told journalists outside the centre that the fire broke out owing to a short circuit, but it was extinguished after some time.

“Only some furniture and sets for programme were affected, but cameras, monitors and other instruments were removed from the studio,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, newsmen were not allowed to enter the centre to know about the exact picture of the fire incident. —Reporter