KASUR, Aug 6: A factory producing carbon and furnace oil with used tyres caught fire reportedly due to a short circuit on Monday near Dina Nath village in the limits of Phoolnagar police station.

No loss of life was reported, but the loss of property was estimated to be about Rs1 million.

Major Muhammad Iqbal (retired) was the owner of the Green Pak Factory established over two kanals of land in the close vicinity of the army ammunition depot.

The fire erupted in the morning which soon engulfed hundreds of old tyres and eventually the whole factory within no time.

Rescue 1122 firefighters from Kasur, Pattoki and Lahore took at least eight hours in bringing the fire under control.

Villagers said that had the fire reached the army ammunition depot, dozens of villages would have destroyed.

They said they had lodged several complaints with the authorities in the past, but to no avail.

They said the pollution caused by heavy fire involving used tyres could badly affect the health of residents and the livestock.

ARRESTED: Phoolnagar police arrested on Monday a woman drug-trafficker and recovered 1,300 grams of hashish from her custody.

Police said that Rani Bibi would bring the narcotics from Thokar Niaz Beg in Lahore to sell it in Phoolnagar.