Overview
- A blaze broke out in the Sethi Complex (Purohit Ji Ka Katla) in Tripolia Bazaar on Thursday morning and spread from goods stored in cartons to more than 20 shops and warehouses.
- Firefighters used over a dozen tenders, long hoses and private water tankers to battle the blaze for several hours because narrow lanes and dense, flammable stock prevented engines from reaching the site directly.
- No casualties were reported and power to the area was cut as a precaution while firefighters removed five LPG cylinders and brought the fire under control.
- Police say a short circuit is the preliminary cause but traders and Kishanpole MLA Amin Kagzi have demanded checks of building Fire NOCs and raised claims that installed safety systems were not functioning and that illegal construction was underway.
- The market’s heavy festival-season inventory and the Walled City’s congested, heritage layout mean large economic losses for small wholesalers and a wider review of fire-safety inspections and permitting in the area is likely to follow.