E-Paper
Fire breaks out in Chandigarh’s Sector 22 mobile market, no casualty
Panic gripped bustling market opposite ISBT, Sector 17, on Wednesday afternoon as flames from a first-floor mobile shop quickly spread to adjacent stores
A major fire broke out in Chandigarh’s Sector 22 mobile phone market on Wednesday afternoon, triggering panic in one of the city’s busiest commercial zones right opposite the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Sector 17, with firefighters battling the blaze till late into the night.
While traders, workers and customers managed to escape safely, the fire caused extensive damage to property as flames rapidly spread through two shop-cum-office (SCO) buildings.
The fire was first noticed on the rear side of the second floor of SCO Number 1025, which houses several shops and a photo lab. By the time fire tenders reached the spot, the fire had intensified and began spreading to the front of the building, opposite the ISBT, and to the adjacent SCO Number 1024.
Firefighters struggled to access the scene, making their way through encroachments, overhead wires and congested lanes. Haphazard parking further delayed movement, forcing police to tow away vehicles to clear a path for the fire tenders.
A total of seven fire tenders were pressed into service, including two hydraulic lifts with turntable ladders from the Chandigarh Fire Brigade. Additional tenders were called in from Mohali and the Ordnance Factory as the firefighting operation stretched for hours.
Combustible material stored inside the shops, including chemical solvents, compressors, batteries and packaging, fuelled the flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfed the area.
Fire tenders had to make repeated trips to refill water, slowing operations. A fireman said multiple cabins inside the building hampered efforts to douse the flames. “There are multiple cabins on the first and second floor rented out to different businesses...As we sprayed water, it could not reach all areas due to obstructions, making the fire difficult to control,” he said.
Police personnel from multiple stations struggled to disperse onlookers, and the area could be fully cordoned off only by 4 pm, nearly three hours after the fire broke out.
The worst affected was Sera Photo Store, which had recently been renovated. Workers said the owner had invested crores in new camera equipment, most of which was destroyed in the blaze.
Power supply to the entire market was snapped and shopkeepers shut their establishments as the fire spread. Roads leading to Sector 22 were closed, triggering traffic jams, with long queues seen towards Sectors 17, 16 and 23.
FIRE SAFETY LAPSES LAID BARE
Building violations galore
One of Chandigarh’s oldest and busiest commercial hubs, the Sector-22 mobile market sees heavy footfall. The three-storey shop-cum-office (SCO) buildings house ground-floor showrooms and upper-floor offices, shops, labs and clinics, many of which have been carved out with cabins inside enclosed balconies for additional space. Basements are also being used for commercial activity. Fire safety norms are widely flouted, with no proper escape routes, outdated or non-functional extinguishers, and chaotic parking that blocks access for fire tenders.
Fire tenders blocked
Haphazard parking and overhead wires delayed the entry of fire tenders. A fire official stated that a number of vehicles parked illegally at the rear side of the Sector 22 market blocked their entry, wasting crucial time.
Police struggle to disperse crowd
Even as cops from the police reserve and Sector 17 police station among other police stations rushed to the spot, they failed to disperse the crowd for over two hours after the fire broke out. “People do not listen to us,” was the response of one cop when asked about the risk to the hundreds of gathered onlookers given the erupting blaze.
Bowsers missing
Chandigarh Fire brigade once boasted four bowsers — specialised, high-capacity vehicles that act as mobile water sources to ensure an uninterrupted water supply. All of the bowsers are now lying dumped as condemned vehicles at different fire stations of the city. A number of firemen at the spot, requesting anonymity, complained how water in the tenders was depleting fast and they had to make repeated rounds to the fire station to refill the tenders. “The MC doesn’t think about improving emergency services, there are no bowsers with the fire department right now,” said a fireman. While a fire equipment procurement plan is underway, it remains on paper. The lack of communication equipment was also apparent, with firefighters screaming loudly for coordination while dousing the flames.
Past blazes in Sector 22 market
April 2025: A major fire broke out on the first floor of a showroom complex housing medical supplies and offices. While no injuries occurred, employees were trapped on the upper floors and had to be rescued using ladders after breaking windowpanes to escape the thick smoke.
September 2019: A late-night fire erupted in a multi-storeyed building (SCO 1072) opposite the ISBT. It started on the first floor, where toys and garments were sold, and spread to the second floor. Firefighters had to break through illegal iron hoardings and encroachments to access the building.
June 2018: A fire gutted the basement of a toy shop in the early hours of the morning. It took seven fire tenders to douse the flames, but the dense smoke from burning plastic toys and electronics meant normalcy wasn’t restored for over 10 hours.
February 2018: Panic spread through the mobile market when a fire broke out in a photo mixing lab on the second floor of an SCF (shop-cum-flat). Five fire tenders were used to contain the blaze, which destroyed equipment worth lakhs.
November 2015: A significant fire was reported specifically within the mobile market cluster, causing disruption to the neighboring shops and heavy smoke across the Sector 22-C corridor.
October 2010: Two offices, including a fire safety equipment firm and a videography studio, were gutted in a night-time fire. Short-circuiting was identified as the primary cause.
April 2009: One of the most tragic incidents in the market’s history occurred when four people died of asphyxiation after a fire broke out in a digital laboratory. The presence of highly inflammable chemicals used in the lab made the fire particularly lethal and difficult to extinguish.
