Huge fire guts Liberty Plaza shops

LAHORE - At least 10 shops were gutted while 26 others were damaged partially when a huge fire erupted in the basement of the Liberty Plaza, one of the busiest shopping area in the posh Liberty Market, Gulberg. The fire incident also caused huge stampede among the shopkeepers.

Two traders fell unconscious in the basement of plaza due to suffocation but were immediately rescued by the officials of Rescue 1122. One of them sustained some minor burns. The fire was so alarming and huge that its flames could be seen from a distance.

The shopkeepers of the plaza said that the fire erupted due to short-circuiting in a UPS installed in a garments shop ‘Lebas-e-Khas’ located in the basement of the plaza owned by one Abdul Wahid.

The fire that erupted around 11:25 am later engulfed the other nearby shops.

As there was not any single fire extinguish instrument or anything else to cope such an emergency in the plaza, the fire later engulfed seven more shops, a few of them were situated in the first row of the ground floor while rest in the basement.