LAHORE, Dec 28: Five rescuers fainted while extinguishing fire at a four-storey plaza near Shah Alam Market that reduced to ashes synthetic wool, acrylic and plastic worth millions and destroyed at least 30 warehouses, witnesses and rescuers said.
The rescuers had to face a great deal of inconvenience in controlling the fire because of difficult excess to the plaza situated in only four-foot wide street.
The rescuers feared collapse of the multi-storey Alnoor Plaza after fire reached the top despite efforts by fire-fighters to control it.
Officials of Rescue 1122 Fire Service and City Fire Brigade, who started fire-fighting immediately after the fire erupted at noon, were busy extinguishing fire till 11pm when this report was filed. However, they were told to do their job from a distance because the building on fire could collapse.
City Division Police Superintendent Rana Abdul Jabbar told Dawn that fire erupted in wool storehouse of Sheikh Islam, also owner of the plaza, on the first floor and engulfed the entire ground-floor and second floor. The fire erupted because of short-circuiting in the storehouse of Islam Traders, Jabbar said, sighting a watchman of the plaza. He said the storehouse owner claimed to have suffered a loss up to Rs7 million.
The SP said 12 units of Rescue 1122 and City Fire Brigade took part in the rescue work, adding that officials of Akbari Gate, Mochi Gate and Rang Mahal police stations assisted the rescuers.
He said the plaza had a single entrance and exit and no fire-fighting equipment and emergency exit points. This shows that the plaza was constructed in violation of building bylaws.
Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Dr Ahmed Raza said fire-fighting was still in progress as the highly inflammable wool acted as a fuel. He said that fire-fighting trucks reached the congested scene within five minutes of the incident.
He said 600 feet long water pipes were being used to extinguish the fire. He said he feared that at least 30 storehouses situated on the first, second and third floors might have been destroyed by the fire.
Rescue 1122 fire fighters Zeeshan, Imran and Asif and two City Fire Brigade workers had minor burns and fainted.
“The plaza owner had kept wool and other material in sacks at two floors and rented out other portions to traders,” Kashif Tauseef, a local, told Dawn. He said thick smoke created respiratory problems for rescuers and people living around.
The authorities evacuated people from buildings adjacent to the burning plaza.
District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta and Rescue Service chief Rizwan Naseer also visited the scene. arrested: An anti-motorcycle lifting staff on Sunday arrested a criminal and seized 13 motorcycles from him.
The accused confessed to have involved in a number of incidents of motorcycle theft, according to a handout.