Shopping store fire controlled after 12 hours

‘Four-storey building no longer fit for use as it will have to be razed and constructed afresh’.

LAHORE: Goods worth millions of rupees burned in a fire at a departmental store near Liberty Roundabout on Monday.

Rescue 1122 District Officer Dr Ahmad Raza told The Express Tribune that the four-storey building of Al Fatah Departmental Store was no longer fit for use. He said the structure would have to be razed and constructed afresh.

At least five people, including two firefighters, suffered minor burns in the fire fight that continued for about 12 hours.

Fire fighters said three of the injured men had been standing too close to the site despite repeated warnings. “They received burns from steam as the building was sprayed with water,” they said. They said they were given first aid on the spot.

Dr Raza said the fire had started at the third floor of building. He said security guards deputed at the market had called the rescue helpline at around 5:30am and reported smoke emitting from the building.

“Fire fighting started within three minutes of the call,” he said.

He said fire quickly spread to the adjacent floors, burning the goods stored there. He said firefighters had managed to save inventories kept in the basement and on the ground floor.

Dr Raza said 20 vehicles and 120 men from the Rescue 1122 and 40 vehicles and 150 men from the Fire Brigade and Civil Defence stations of Lahore, Kasur and Gujranwala districts participated in the fire fighting operation.

He said the fire was controlled at around 6pm and the teams were waiting for the building to cool down.

The fire continued to threaten adjacent buildings and shop owners had to remove their inventories to avoid damage. Scores of people trapped in a hotel located in one of the neighbouring buildings were also rescued to safety.

Gulberg TMO Faisal Shahzad said some portions in the two adjacent buildings had been rented out by Al-Fatah and were connected with the affected building. This enabled the fire to spread quickly to these portions as well, he said. However, he said, fire fighters had managed to keep the fire from affecting the basements.

Lahore DCO Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman said 14 people were rescued during the operation. Store Owner Irfan Sheikh said there was no one in the building when the fire started. He said those rescued by the fire fighters were trapped in a hotel located in a neighbouring building.

Capt (retd) Usman said the city district government would hold an inquiry into the matter after ensuring that the fire had been put out entirely. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also sought report from the authorities concerned.

The building had earlier been the scene of a major fire last year in February.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2015.