Nakkhas kiosks go up in smoke

PROPERTY WORTH over Rs 10 lakh was destroyed as a major fire broke out in 16 makeshift shops of Nakkhas market in Chowk early on Monday morning. Five fire tenders were engaged in dousing the flames for over three hours.

PROPERTY WORTH over Rs 10 lakh was destroyed as a major fire broke out in 16 makeshift shops of Nakkhas market in Chowk early on Monday morning. Five fire tenders were engaged in dousing the flames for over three hours.

HT Image

Police claimed short-circuit caused the fire, while the affected shopkeepers alleged that it was the handiwork of hooligans. The entire Nakkhas market remained closed following the incident. Pavement-dwellers rushed to the Nakkhas outpost nearby after they saw smoke billowing out from some shops on roadside outside the Lucknow Municipal Corporation market around 4.45 am.

Police rang up the Chowk fire station and fire tenders rushed to the scene. By the time fire-fighters swung into action, flames enveloped 16 shops and handcarts. The shops included those that stocked bangles, wallets and readymade garments.

Owners of the shops, who belonged to nearby localities, gathered at the scene after hearing of the fire. Razia Begum, resident of Sujanpura locality, Alambagh, who used to run a bangle shop, said the shopkeepers had left almost all their wares in their shops as a weekly market was held on Sunday.

Office-bearers and the members of Victoria Street Footpath Kalyan Samiti demanded compensation for the affected shopkeepers. Those affected were Azam Ali, Shamshad, Mukhtar Ahmed, Tara, Khalikun, Kallo, Anwar Ali, Pappu, Mumtaz, Imtiyaz, Altaf, Ramzan, Sheikhu, Hashmat and Intezar.