LAHORE, March 1: A man died while nine others injured two of them critically in an armed clash between two groups over laying a TV cable in Green Town on Tuesday.

Reports said the crossfire continued for about 15 minutes at Ameer Chowk near College Road, causing panic among the locals and passersby who had to take shelter to save their lives.

According to witnesses, police's response to an emergency call was delayed, and even after arriving at the scene they preferred to stay at a 'safe distance'.

A police official, Muhammad Nawaz, said the men of Faryad and Bhola groups exchanged hot words over laying a cable in a street and later scuffled over the issue. The two sides had been clashing over the issue in the past, he added.

Later in the day, the both sides again had a clash and this time they were accompanied by armed people.

In the ensuing crossfire that continued for half an hour 10 people received multiple injuries, of them eight belonging to Faryad group and two others to Bhola group.

Qaiser Ali of Faryad group later succumbed to his bullet wounds at Jinnah Hospital while the condition of three others was said to be critical.

Two of the injured have been shifted to Services Hospital, while the police shifted Qaiser's body to the city morgue for autopsy.

The policemen have also been deputed at Ameer Chowk to avoid further clash.

No case was registered till the filing of this report.