Firefighters battle factory inferno
Factory was closed at the time of the fire. “We don’t know if any one was trapped inside," Fire Officer Sifwat Sajjad.
LAHORE:
Several houses at Street 136, Shalimar, were evacuated on Saturday night as they were threatened by a blaze at a nearby factory. Firefighters were still trying to put out the fire when this report was filed at around 10:15pm.
Fire Safety Officer Sifwat Sajjad said that the factory was made up of two adjoining houses in a residential area and had caught fire at around 6:45pm due to a short circuit. He said that the first floor of the building had collapsed due to the high intensity of the blaze.
Sajjad said that the factory was closed at the time, so fire fighters were hoping there would be no casualties. “We don’t know if any one was trapped inside,” he said.
He said that nearby properties had been vacated as a precautionary measure. He said that the factory was located in a dense residential area and could not be approached by fire truck as the streets were too narrow.
He said that he could not say how long the fire would continue. He said that the factory produced bags, but could not say what kind. He said that nearby residents were also hindering the fire fight.
A large number of locals held a protest against the city administration for failing to stop the setting up of factories in residential areas. They accosted District Coordination Officer Noorul Amin Mengal and MPA Waseem Qadir when he arrived at the scene, leading to an ugly exchange. They also hindered journalists and cameramen trying to cover the fire.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2012.
Several houses at Street 136, Shalimar, were evacuated on Saturday night as they were threatened by a blaze at a nearby factory. Firefighters were still trying to put out the fire when this report was filed at around 10:15pm.
Fire Safety Officer Sifwat Sajjad said that the factory was made up of two adjoining houses in a residential area and had caught fire at around 6:45pm due to a short circuit. He said that the first floor of the building had collapsed due to the high intensity of the blaze.
Sajjad said that the factory was closed at the time, so fire fighters were hoping there would be no casualties. “We don’t know if any one was trapped inside,” he said.
He said that nearby properties had been vacated as a precautionary measure. He said that the factory was located in a dense residential area and could not be approached by fire truck as the streets were too narrow.
He said that he could not say how long the fire would continue. He said that the factory produced bags, but could not say what kind. He said that nearby residents were also hindering the fire fight.
A large number of locals held a protest against the city administration for failing to stop the setting up of factories in residential areas. They accosted District Coordination Officer Noorul Amin Mengal and MPA Waseem Qadir when he arrived at the scene, leading to an ugly exchange. They also hindered journalists and cameramen trying to cover the fire.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2012.