LAHORE, July 28: At least 16 people, including four policemen and five detainees, sustained multiple burn wounds in a fire that erupted in the Shafeeqabad police station, police and rescuers said.

All the victims were shifted to Mayo Hospital by Rescue 1122 and Edhi ambulances.

The police claimed the fire erupted owing to electric short-circuit but sources said seized fireworks’ explosion had caused the blaze.

The Shafeeqabad police had seized the fireworks in a huge quantity from different areas during a campaign.

The injured were identified as traffic warden Abdul Razzaq, sub-inspector Muhammad Anwar, ASI Ghlfam

Shahzad, constables Mushtaq, Muhammad Boota, accused Muhammad Nadeem, Muhammad Saeed, Mubashar Hussain, Muhammad Safdar and some visitors Ashiq, Muhammad Afzal, Akmal Shah, Mahmood and others.

The worst affected were the detainees who could not come out of their lockups.

Furniture, other valuables besides some police station record were reduced to ashes, a police official said.

The fire also damaged major portion of the building.

SSP (operations) Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq, SP City and other police officers immediately reached the spot.

FIRE IN A FACTORY: A fire broke out in a textile factory at Sundar Industrial Estate on Raiwind Road on Monday. As a result 13 labourers fell unconscious and valuables worth Rs20 million were gutted.

A Rescue 1122 team, after receiving the emergency call, reached the spot, removed the unconscious people from the factory and provided them with first aid.

The fire erupted around 4pm owing to short circuit in Master Textiles.

The victims were identified as Munir, Ashfaq, Ali Akbar, Hameed, Zahoor Ahmed, Sabir, Shabbir, Jehangir, Iqbal, Zahoor, Sakhawat and Iqbal.

Fire-fighters controlled the fire after hectic efforts.

KITES SEIZED: The Shahdara police claimed on Monday to have arrested two people and seized more than 5,000 kites as well as kite paper from their possession.

A team, headed by the Shahdara SPO, raided a house at Luddhay Shah Chowk and arrested Muhammad Iqbal alias Billu and recovered 5,000 kites and other material from his possession.

The same team raided Talook Shah and arrested Ashraf alias Lala and seized more than 100 kites and 150 packets of kite paper from him.

Shahadara Town police have registered a case against them.