A large fire that started on Tuesday morning at the furniture market in Sector 53 destroyed 22 stores in all. According to sources, the fire might have started because of combustible materials kept within the shops to polish and repair wooden objects. However, it wasn’t until Tuesday night that the exact reason was determined. As firefighters raced to put out the fire, locals were overcome with panic. It is yet unknown what exactly started the fire. The suspected cause of the fire is said to be a short circuit.
The incident
The fire started around 10:37 and it was put out by 11:25 am. The smoke took longer to clear. Although electrical equipment and wooden materials held inside stores were destroyed, no fatalities were reported from the incident. Although the exact amount of the loss has not yet been determined, sources peg it at lakhs. To put out the fire, several fire tenders and other emergency services department vehicles were called into action. Additionally, fire engines from nearby Mohali and Panchkula were sent.
The fire department battled the fire valiantly
Under the guidance of top fire commanders, some 125 workers from the MC fire and emergency ARA services department battled valiantly to put out the fire. “Since a large duty quantity of inflammable material was kept in the shops, it was a major challenge to control the fire. However, our teams managed to douse the flames professionally,” an MC fire officer said. Though there was no loss of life, goods worth lakhs were gutted, according to police officials.
Teams from the Chandigarh Police and the Chandigarh administration’s civil defense department arrived at the scene to begin firefighting efforts in addition to the Chandigarh MC’s emergency and fire departments. Investigating the incident is also the Chandigarh Police.
Such fire incidents have taken place in the market earlier too.
Store owners were forced to quickly remove their furniture and notify the fire department due to the market fire. A short circuit is thought to be the fire’s probable cause. Notably, there have been other fire occurrences at the market in the past as well. Reliable sources stated that few fire safety regulations are followed because the market is unlicensed and transient. Although the black market cannot be equipped with a full firefighting system, there are a few fire extinguishers. “We cannot Issue fire safety certificates to this market as all shops have temporary sheds,” according to sources. On June 23, 2022, a fire in the market near the Punjabi border of Chandigarh and Mohali burned twelve furniture stores as well as a tea stall. Shop owners wanted a proper market, not the improvised one they currently use. But thus far, nothing substantial has been done about it. Tuesday’s blaze comes three months after a fire broke out at a furniture factory in Chandigarh’s industrial area on October 2.
By: Gursharan Kaur