Inferno: 58 shops gutted in Model Bazaar fire

Electric short-circuit blamed for the blaze in Green Town facility

LAHORE: At least 58 shops burned in a fire that broke out on Friday at Model Bazaar, Green Town, Rescue and police said. No casualties were reported.

The fire erupted at the market in Tipu Block at around 9am. SHO Waqasul Hassan blamed the blaze on an eclectic short-circuit. Rescue 1122 put down the fire; only five shops had destroyed by the time. The blaze later erupted again engulfing other shops.

Teams of Rescue 1122, Fire Brigade, Edhi Foundation and police took part in the rescue operation. Hassan said most of the shops in the bazaar sold clothes, crockery and toys. He said the firefighters had taken two hours to put out the fire. “The fire spread rapidly as the shops are contiguous.” DSP Atif Ayyaz said police had received no complaint. A spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation said the administration had sent five ambulances to the site.

There were no casualties as the market was closed when the fire broke out, he said. Owners of the burned shops later staged a protest demonstration against their losses.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2015.