LAHORE:
At least 33 major fire incidents causing property damage worth millions and injuring individuals were reported over the three days of Eidul Azha.
In the first incident, three individuals were injured and multiple rickshaws were damaged following an explosion in LPG cylinders near Thokar Niaz Beg motorway.
The cylinders, placed on an empty roadside spot, exploded with a huge blast on Tuesday night, igniting a fire that spread to nearby rickshaws.
The incident caused widespread panic due to its proximity to the intersection of main highways, including the M-2 Motorway and Multan and Raiwind roads.
The Jinnah Bus Terminal, a major transport hub, is also located in the vicinity. Videos of commuters filming the rising flames from a distance surfaced on social media. DC Lahore Rafay Haider took notice of the incident and sought a report.
Within hours, another massive fire was reported at Naseer Paper Mills in the Sundar Industrial Estate, Manga Mandi. The fire broke out in a one-acre open-air warehouse of the paper mill and quickly engulfed the entire paper warehouse.
Nearby residents alerted rescue teams, who responded with 10 emergency vehicles and 40 rescuers initially. District Emergency Officer Shahid Waheed Qamar led the operation, which continued throughout the night. To prevent the fire from spreading to nearby establishments, 25 additional rescuers were called in.
Director of Training, Dr Foad Shahzad Mirza, reached the spot and took over the lead of the operation. The fire, which started around 10 pm, was controlled by approximately 4 pm the next day.
Overall, 173 fire incidents were reported on Eid day, with 33 cases in Lahore, 18 in Rawalpindi, 15 in Attock, and 13 in Faisalabad.
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