Power cable fire triggers panic in Sarafa Bazaar, Ludhiana

Traders then rushed to the nearby grid substation and got the concerned feeder shut down, once the power supply was disconnected, they used sand to extinguish the fire, averting what they described as a major mishap in the congested market

Panic gripped Sarafa Bazaar on Saturday afternoon after power cables caught fire, disrupting electricity supply and sending thick smoke billowing across the market. Shopkeepers claimed they had to douse the flames themselves after PSPCL staff could not immediately reach the spot because of the ongoing employees’ strike.

Traders said that as smoke engulfed the market, the PSPCL complaint centre was informed but they got no immediate assistance. (HT PHOTO)

Traders said that as smoke engulfed the market, the PSPCL complaint centre was informed but they got no immediate assistance. Traders then rushed to the nearby grid substation and got the concerned feeder shut down. Once the power supply was disconnected, they used sand to extinguish the fire, averting what they described as a major mishap in the congested market.

Prince Babbar, president of the Swarnkar Sangh, Sarafa Bazaar, said the problem had been reported to the department several days ago. The incident also left several shops without electricity for hours.

Additional superintending engineer Gurpreet Singh said the repair work was being affected due to the ongoing employees’ agitation. “Almost the entire technical workforce is participating in the strike, because of which restoration and repair work is taking longer than usual,” he said.

Traders said they hoped damaged cables would be repaired at the earliest to prevent similar incidents and restore normal power supply in the market.