May 25, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 08, 1428

LAHORE, May 24: At least 18 fire-fighters sustained burns, three of them critical, when drums containing chemicals in three warehouses caught fire and exploded on Circular Road here on Thursday morning.

The fire broke out in dozens of drums at Crown Adda 9 in Akbari Mandi after 7am. Shopkeepers and locals gathered on the spot and started pouring water on the drums.

Several fire-brigade units, Rescue 1122 ambulances and police reached the spot and started extinguishing the fire.

In the meanwhile, more than a dozen drums exploded in the warehouse which caused burn injures to 18 fire fighters.

According to Mayo Hospital officials, the condition of three fire fighters was critical.

Rizwan, whose shop is located adjacent to the warehouses, said shopkeepers of the area gathered around the place on seeing black smoke billowing out of the warehouse and tried to put out the fire, but failed.

Fire-fighter Manzoor, who also sustained minor injuries, said the locals told them that the fire broke out in the warehouse due to a short-circuit. He said the fire fighters threw water on the fire which caused a chemical reaction and explosions started. Later sand was used and it took five to six hours to overcome the fire, he said.

Fire-brigade officials said Amjad, Karamat Husain, Irfan and Akhtar of Badami Bagh fire-brigade unit, Arif of central fire-brigade unit and Khalid, Zahid, Yaqoob Masih, Karam Das, Rashid, Lal Khan, Mushtaq, Akram, Salim, Shabbir, Shoaib, Ashfaq, Abid of Shah Muhammad unit sustained burn injuries.

Meanwhile, residents of Akbari Mandi were critical of chemical business on Circular Road without any precautionary measures and feared that such incidents could happen anytime.