LAHORE, Jan 20: Police registered a case on Sunday against the owner and management of the Aiwan-i-Mashriq building over negligence as a huge fire in the multi-storey property on Abbot Road late on Saturday left six people including a child dead and many injured.

Qilla Gujjar Singh police said the blaze erupted due to a short-circuit in the second storey and engulfed the whole building.

Fire-fighters of Rescue 1122 and City Fire-Brigade took several hours to battle the flames.

Six victims who either died of burns or suffocation were identified as three-year-old Abdur Rehman, his mother Yasmeen Tariq, Wapda deputy director Adnan Ahmad Memon, Syed Ameen Zaidi and Abdul Ghafoor Janjua.

Police investigation in charge Muhammad Rafique told Dawn that the case under sections 322 and 427 of the PPC was registered against the owner and management on behalf of state.

He said the charge of negligence was framed against the owner and other staff. Police have yet to know who the owner is. The official said five bodies were handed over to the families after legal formalities, adding the sixth victim was not identified.

He said one of the injured identified as Tariq Javed of Okara lost his wife and son in the fire.—Staff Reporter

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