QUETTA: A major fire swept through a shopping plaza in the busy Price Road area of the provincial capital on Tuesday, destroying at least 120 shops and leaving three people, including two firefighters, unconscious during efforts to bring the flames under control.

Officials said the fire broke out in the early hours in Haleem Plaza and gutted shops selling mobile phones, electronic goods, shoes and garments. Police, rescue workers and fire brigade personnel reached the site and rescued 15 people, including 14 hairdressers and the plaza’s watchmen, who were trapped inside the burning building.

Rescue officials said the fire erupted at around 4:30am and was reported by area residents. Fire tenders reached the site within about 15 minutes and began firefighting operations as the flames rapidly spread through the plaza. The district administration declared an emergency in hospitals as a precautionary measure, officials added.

Shop owners arrived at the scene as news of the fire spread and watched their premises burn. “We have lost goods worth billions of rupees and nothing is left in our shops,” shopkeeper Abdullah Khan told the media.

The chief fire officer later said the blaze had been brought under control and cooling operations were underway to prevent flare-ups. He said six fire tenders from the fire brigade and four vehicles from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) participated in the operation, with fireballs also used to help contain the flames.

He said a short circuit caused the fire, which spread rapidly after nearby transformers and power cables caught fire, making it difficult for firefighters to control the blaze.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Corporation Quetta (MCQ) Administrator Mujeeb Qambrani visited the affected area in Liaquat Bazaar to review the emergency operation. He praised the fire brigade and the metropolitan corporation for what he termed a timely response.

Fire service officials told him that 13 fire brigade vehicles and dozens of firefighters from the metropolitan corporation took part in the operation, with tenders dispatched from different parts of the city to prevent the fire from spreading further.

Mr Qambrani commended the fire service, rescue teams and other departments for their swift action, saying the protection of lives and property was the corporation’s top priority.

He directed all relevant agencies to remain on alert until the cooling process was completed and ordered a thorough safety inspection of the affected building.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2026