Ludhiana: 27-year-old bizman charred to death at garment shop

Preliminary probe suggests crackers stored on the second floor caught fire, after the suspected short circuit, resulting in multiple explosions

A 27-year-old garment shop owner was charred to death after a fire broke out at his shop in Ludhiana’s congested Field Ganj market on Friday afternoon, triggering a series of explosions.

The ravaged shop. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The deceased, Sahil Sabharwal—nephew of local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Goldy Sabharwal—was on the ground floor when he noticed the fire and rushed upstairs. Firecrackers allegedly stored illegally across four rooms on the second floor began exploding as the flames spread, trapping him inside the building belonging to his family.

While a suspected inverter short circuit is being investigated as the primary cause of the fire, the circumstances surrounding the initial explosion remain unclear. The unauthorised storage of firecrackers inside the commercial property has also come under intense scrutiny.

The blaze, which engulfed Pulkit Fashion in Koocha Number 10, intensified rapidly after the initial explosion on the second floor. According to police, the illegally stored firecrackers erupted into a chain reaction as the inferno swept through the premises, severely hampering firefighting and rescue efforts.

Investigators are probing the exact sequence of events, including the possibility that a gas cylinder or an air-conditioner unit burst during the blaze, which sent debris flying into the street.

According to family members, Sahil ran upstairs to check on the situation when he first noticed the fire. However, the sudden, repeated explosions from the stockpiled crackers, coupled with rapidly spreading flames and thick, suffocating smoke, completely cut off his escape route.

Fire officials said the firefighting operation lasted for nearly three hours. According to the officials, the narrow lanes and heavy traffic in the congested market restricted the movement of fire tenders, forcing emergency personnel to manually extend long hoses down the lane to reach the building. The second-floor lintel also collapsed during the operation.

Sarabjit Singh, a neighboring shopkeeper in Koocha Number 9, recalled hearing deafening blasts around 2 pm. “A suspected cylinder or air-conditioner blast was followed by repeated explosions as the firecrackers stored inside began bursting. The crackers kept exploding for around 15 to 20 minutes. I saw Sahil at a window, calling for help as smoke and flames surrounded him,” Singh said.

Fire official Dinesh Kumar said the layout of the lane posed a massive challenge for the rescue teams. By the time firefighters managed to breach the second floor, Sahil had already succumbed to his injuries, he added.

As a precautionary measure, police ordered all commercial establishments in Koocha Numbers 9, 10, and 11, along with the immediate surrounding market area, to shut down.

Deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and assigned the probe to the sub-divisional magistrate (east). The inquiry will examine the cause of the fire, the circumstances surrounding the storage of firecrackers and compliance with fire safety norms.

“A magisterial inquiry has been marked to the SDM (East). Strict action will be taken against those found guilty of violating the rules,” Jain said.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) City-1 Sameer Verma said, “The building has been sealed and that the police, along with fire department officials, are investigating the cause of the blaze, including the suspected inverter short circuit and the alleged unauthorised storage of firecrackers.”