Fire ravages Hall Road mobile stores

Rs200 million worth of mobile phones and accessories destroyed, four injured.

LAHORE: Mobile phones and phone accessories worth Rs200 million were destroyed and four people injured as 30 shops on Hall Road were burnt in a fire overnight on Wednesday, said traders.

It was unclear how the fire in Arif Centre started. Humayun, owner of five shops in Arif Centre, said he had been at work till 10pm on Tuesday night and not seen or heard anything suspicious.

But Zahid, an employee at Riaz Mobile, said he had smelt something burning in Tipu Mobile at around 8pm and informed the guard at Arif Centre. He speculated that the fire was caused by sparks from a mobile phone charger plugged into a socket.

Bashir Ahmed of Hassan Mobile also claimed the fire started in Tipu Mobile. He said that he had suffered losses of about Rs2 million in the fire.

Zahid said that his employers stood to lose over Rs9 million. He said that a fresh consignment of mobile phone accessories worth millions of rupees had arrived the night before and been wiped out in the fire.

Humayun said the fire destroyed at least 30 shops and caused total losses of some Rs200 million. Fire fighters battled the blaze for over four hours to stop it spreading from Arif Centre to the adjacent Rafi Plaza. Edhi sources said four people received minor injuries.

Aslam, a resident of the area, said that he saw fire engulf Arif Centre at around 12:15am and spread throughout the first floor within minutes and reach up to the second floor. He said the fire brigade and Rescue 1122 arrived at the scene at around 1:30am. He said eight trucks took part in the operation.

Ahmed of Hassan Mobile criticised the fire brigade, saying that the fire fighters had broken windows in Rafi Plaza and soaked the shops inside, damaging store owners’ stocks.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2010.