LAHORE: A huge fire ravaged a three-storey building housing a watch market in Anarkali Bazaar here on Monday evening, leaving 13 people dead.

Dozens of watch shops and warehouses in Alkarim Market, near Lohari Gate, were gutted in the blaze. The administration ordered closure of adjacent shopping centres after the tragedy.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered an inquiry into the incident and sought a report from the district administration.

According to Rescue 1122 and police, most of the casualties took place because of a single entry-exit door and the absence of fire-fighting equipment in the building.

City SP Asad Sarfaraz said the three-storey building had no emergency exit and fire-fighting equipment, adding that majority of the victims died of suffocation.

LAHORE: Relatives of those stuck in Khalid Plaza, where a fire broke out on Monday, weep outside the building during the rescue operation.—White Star/M. Arif

Rescue 1122 spokesman Jam Sajjad quoted witnesses as saying that the fire apparently broke out in a shop selling cells and batteries used in watches. However, he added, an investigation would determine the exact cause of fire.

He said the fire was brought under control after frantic efforts lasting about two hours.

“Some sparks occurred in the main electricity wire on the building’s ground floor, leading to a huge fire near the entrance. One of the cell shops first caught fire which quickly spread to other shops,” said Mohammad Ishaq, a watch shop owner who escaped unhurt.

He said the victims were trapped inside the building as there was only one door for entry and exit.

Mohammad Asadullah, a shopkeeper in Khalid Centre, an adjoining newly built building, said he had heard the sound of sparks before the fire. “We used our own fire-fighting equipment before the arrival of fire-fighters, but it did not help. The cause of fire appeared to be short-circuiting in some electricity wires,” he added.

He said a woman customer and a son of the Alkarim Watch Market Association’s president were among the dead.

“I was sitting at my garments shop outside the Alkarim Market at about 5.15pm when I saw a huge smoke arising out of the building, followed by the blaze which engulfed the entire building in a few minutes. Soon all emergency services arrived at the scene and took part in fire-fighting,” said Sakhawat Ali.

Ambulances of Rescue 1122, Edhi and others took the dead and injured to Mayo Hospital. According to sources in Mayo Hospital, nine bodies and six injured were brought to the hospital, where four of the injured succumbed to their injuries. Provincial ministers Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman and Bilal Yasin and the health secretary reached the site and supervised relief activities.

The chief minister constituted a special committee to investigate the cause of fire and assess the losses caused to properties for compensation.

The committee, headed by MNA Pervaiz Malik, comprises provincial ministers Bilal Yasin, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, the health secretary, commissioner and DCO of Lahore, Rescue 1122 director general, city police chief, Lesco chief and traders’ representatives. The committee will submit its initial report within 24 hours.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2014