Warehouse gutted in fire near Barkat Market

Firefighters battle flames in warehouse storing plastic goods

LAHORE:

A fire broke out in a warehouse building near Barkat Market, close to a petrol pump, on Friday afternoon, triggering a large-scale response from Rescue 1122.

Rescue 1122 officials said the Control and Command Centre received an emergency call at 3:01pm reporting a blaze in what was initially described as a residential structure but later identified as a warehouse spread over approximately one kanal.

The facility was reportedly being used to store plastic chairs and other goods.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene.

The operation involved eight fire tenders, four rescue vehicles, two ambulances and four motorbikes, with around 40 rescuers taking part in the firefighting efforts.

District Emergency Officer Shahid Waheed Qamar is supervising the operation.

Officials said the fire was still active at the time of filing this report, and efforts were under way to bring it under control.

No casualties have been reported so far.

In a separate incident, a fire broke out in the kitchen of a burger shop at Girja Chowk in Township.

Rescue teams responded and managed to contain the blaze. Cooling and clearance operations were continuing.

The causes of both incidents have yet to be determined. Further updates are awaited as rescue operations continue.

Fire incidents are not uncommon in Lahore. Earlier on January 24, three people died after a fire broke out at the Indigo Hotel near Hussain Chowk in Lahore's Gulberg neighbourhood.

According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmed, three missing persons were recovered from the site in critical condition but later succumbed to their injuries while being moved to the hospital.

"The deceased were identified as 25-year-old Shahryar, 30-year-old Imran and 30-year-old Riyaz," he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had ordered an audit of fire safety systems in both public and private buildings in the province.

Punjab Emergency Services Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique had also ordered complete implementation of the Building Safety Regulations 2022 throughout the province.

A survey of 2,214 high-rise buildings across Punjab has been completed.

A plan to expand the firefighting service to 39 more tehsils of Punjab at a cost of about Rs 2 billion is also being implemented.