Ludhiana: Fire breaks out at mall, parked car ravaged in separate blaze
No casualties reported in both cases, said fire officials, adding that probe is on to ascertain the cause of the fire
Two separate fire incidents were reported in the city on Saturday night. However, no injuries or casualties were reported in either case, fire officials said.
In the first incident, smoke was noticed inside a prominent mall located on Ferozepur Road, triggering concern among shoppers, cinema-goers and staff. The fire was reported on the ground floor of the mall, where a clothing outlet detected flames near its billing counter. As the mall was witnessing heavy footfall due to weekend movie shows, visitors were immediately guided out as a precautionary measure.
Mall staff responded swiftly and used in-house fire safety equipment to control the flames at the initial stage, while the fire brigade was alerted simultaneously.
Fire tenders reached the spot and the situation was brought under control. Shopkeepers from neighbouring outlets also stepped out temporarily, following standard safety protocols.
Fire officials said the prompt response helped confine the fire to a limited area, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the mall. While the exact cause is yet to be confirmed, officials indicated that a technical fault, possibly linked to electrical wiring in the false ceiling near the billing section, may have triggered the incident.
Senior fire officer Rajinder Kumar, who led the firefighting operation, said no casualties were reported. “The fire was controlled swiftly and the situation was normalised without any harm to visitors or staff,” he said.
A second fire was reported later the same night on Deepak Cinema Road near Bhadhaur House, where a parked car caught fire outside a showroom. Residents in the area noticed flames and thick smoke around midnight and immediately raised an alarm.
The fire quickly intensified, completely damaging the car and affecting the exterior of a nearby building. Due to the heat, the walls of the building were blackened, glass panels of the showroom cracked and compressors of three air-conditioners installed outside were damaged.
Local residents initially attempted to douse the flames using water, but the intensity of the blaze made it difficult to contain.
The fire brigade was informed and teams rushed to the site. They brought the fire under control after sustained efforts.
Fire officials said preliminary findings suggest that the blaze may have originated from waste material lying nearby before spreading to the parked vehicle.
