LAHORE, Sept 5: A fire that broke out in a multi-storey plaza located on Gulberg’s Main Boulevard on Tuesday gutted office furniture, computers and other equipment worth millions of rupees.

The fire that erupted at the City Towers’ eighth floor at 7:30am was put out by the fire brigade and Rescue 1122 after four hours’ struggle.

The cause of the fire could not be ascertained, but the owner puts the blame on short-circuiting in the server room of a textile group’s office in the 13-storey building.

The office staff came to know about the fire when they reached the place at 8am, building administrator Amer Raza said, claiming the smoke detectors installed in the plaza did not work.

The plaza management was informed which used available fire-extinguishing equipment to put out the blaze, eyewitnesses said. Rescue 1122 and fire-brigade officials reached the spot at about 8:50am, they added.

Ehsan Textiles CEO Mehmood Ehsaan told Dawn that according to a rough estimate, 90 per cent of the furniture and equipment in the multi-room offices was reduced to ashes.

He said if the fire-brigade officials had a ladder, their task could have been accomplished much earlier and the losses could be reduced.

Mr Raza claimed the three-year-old structure had been equipped with fire-fighting equipment like smoke detectors, water hydrants, security cameras and a control room that remained operational round the clock.