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KARACHI, Sept 25: Over 35 shops were gutted in a fire that broke out in a cloth market in Liaquatabad on Sunday causing losses of up to millions of rupees, police and fire department officials said. However, no casualties were reported.
The City Chief Fire Officer (CCFO), Kazim Ali, said they received information about a fire at Khalid Cloth Market at 11:42 am. The first fire tender from the Nazimabad fire station reached the spot calling for more reinforcements.
The fire was apparently caused by a short circuit as the market had very shabby electrical wiring.
Seventeen fire tenders of the city government were called in, but more help was sought from the KPT that dispatched two fire tenders, the CCFO said.
The chief fire officer said water shortage hampered the fire fighting operation.
He said there were a variety of shops in the market selling cosmetics, silk cloth, etc.
Shopkeepers claimed they suffered losses up to Rs40 million due to the fire.
KILLED: An alleged bandit was shot dead while two of his accomplices were arrested, one in injured condition – who too later succumbed to his injuries – by a policeman at the main University Road Sunday night.
Police said two bandits barged into the PIA booking office located near Hasan Square but a security guard resisted them.
A police constable, Zulfiqar Ali, in plain cloths, who was passing by on his motorcycle raised an alarm on which the suspects opened fire on him.
Police said Constable Zulfiqar Ali returned fire killing one of the suspects identified as Nasir and wounding Ali Sher. The third accomplice, Ejaz, was arrested unhurt. Three pistols and cellphones were recovered from them.
However, the incident turned controversial when the police shifted the body and the injured to the Aziz Bhatti police station instead of the hospital, where they were kept for several hours.
The injured suspect, Ali Sher, later died at police station.
ACCIDENT: An elderly man died in a road accident in Quaidabad on Sunday.
Police said Munir Qureshi, 70, a pedestrian was crossing the road when two speeding minibuses crushed him.
Following the incident, enraged people pelted stones at passing vehicles.
Police claimed to have arrested the driver of the minibus.
In another accident, a 15-year-old girl died in a road accident in a hit-and-run accident in North Nazimabad.
Police said the victim was identified as Bushra. She was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
