Daylong fire ravages Hafeez Centre
Valuables worth hundreds of millions of rupees were gutted in a fire that erupted early in the morning in Hafeez Centre, one of the biggest electronic goods markets of the provincial metropolis.
The fire continued to rage throughout the day in the five-storey building that has over 1,000 shops of mobile phones, computers, laptops, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems and electronic accessories.
It was estimated that at least 40% of the shops situated mostly on the second, third and fourth floor were destroyed and 20% damaged.
The fire reportedly started at the second floor and engulfed the upper floors. It was feared initially that the blaze was spreading towards an adjoining plaza, but it was contained by the firefighters. Late in the evening, the fire spreading towards the first floor also, but was extinguished. No casualty was reported in the incident till the night.
At least 25 people were trapped inside the building when the fire broke out, but all of them were safely evacuated. Most of the trapped people were labourers visiting the plaza for dropping or picking up goods. They took shelter at the rooftop and were rescued with the help of fire snorkels. Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) said that they received the fire call at 6.11am. When the rescuers reached the spot, it had spread within the building.
The rescue teams called for the backup and 25 fire trucks, three special vehicles and over 70 rescuers participated in the operation.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said the fire had aggravated quickly because the plaza was full of highly inflammable material. Besides, the building did not have a fire sprinkler system installed in it. Ahmad also said it was unclear at what time the fire had started.
A rescuer said whoever noticed the fire early in the morning on a holiday must have come to known about it after it had produced heavy smoke visible from a distance.
The fire was so huge that clouds of smoke were seen from a long distance.
As the news of the fire was reported, a large number of shopkeepers rushed to the spot, many of them crying and praying due to the loss they feared to have suffered. Amid chaotic scenes in the building and its surroundings, the people trapped inside rushed towards the rooftop of the building that was engulfed by thick smoke and flames. They kept screaming for help as the rescue workers evacuated them.
Sporadic explosions in the building were also heard. They were reportedly caused by exploding compressors of air conditioners, UPS batteries and other items amid the fire.
A heavy contingent of police reached the spot to maintain law and order. The police also caught two suspected thieves on the occasion.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid also arrived at the site along with senior officers, but the shopkeepers raised slogans against the government. The rescue service spokesman said the rescuers in their daylong operation had stopped the fire from spreading to the basement and rear portion of the building.
He said the cooling process was likely to take long and the active fire had been controlled, but it was restarting repeatedly at some spots due to heat.
Meanwhile, Punjab government formed a fact-finding committee comprising of 14 members with the deputy commissioner Lahore as convener. The members included the assistant commissioner Model Town, SP Model Town, chief engineer buildings Central Zone and district emergency officer.
It will ascertain the causes of the fire, losses caused, infrastructural stability of the building and the efficacy of the emergency response.
The traders claimed a loss of Rs2.5billion to Rs3 billion in the fire.
President Ajnuman-e-Tajiran Hafeez Centre Malik Kaleem said over 100 shops had suffered inventory loss of Rs20 million to Rs25 million, while 150 to 200 shop owners had suffered losses of Rs1.5 million to Rs3 million each. “There are big and small shopkeepers on each floor side by side,” he said. Almost 100 shopkeepers were running large businesses and 150 to 200 were small shops in the affected area, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2020.