Around 200 wedding guests had a narrow escape after a massive fire broke out at Aura Garden Banquet, Zirakpur, around 10.30 pm on Saturday where a wedding function was underway in the banquet halls on the premises.
Panic spread among the guests as thick smoke quickly engulfed the area, but timely intervention by the staff and fire department ensured that everyone was safely evacuated.
Chief fire officer Amarinder Singh said the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined, though preliminary investigations suggest it may have started due to live cooking arrangements or a short-circuit in one of the halls.
“Eight fire tenders were pressed into service and our teams continued to battle the flames till late in the night,” he said, adding that a cylinder blast also took place during the operation but, fortunately, no one was hurt.
Mohali deputy commissioner Komal Mittal rushed to the spot to oversee the situation. She sought a detailed report from the fire department to determine whether the owners of marriage palace had the requisite permissions and fire safety clearances.