One dead, six injured as 15-storey building catches fire in Lahore

LAHORE: One citizen was killed while six others were injured after a 15-storey commercial-cum-residential building on Lahore city’s M.M. Alam Road caught fire, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The 15-storey building comprising apartments and office caught fire at about 5PM in the evening and was extinguished at about 6:40PM with the help of at least seven snorkels of fire brigade.

Rescue 1122 offficials soon reached the spot and rescued more than 50 people who were trapped on different floors of the apartment section of the building.

Initial reports say the fire broke out in the basement of the 15-storey building and quickly spread to other floors.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan soon reached the spot and directed rescue authorities to fasten the pace of rescue work.

“Their (rescue officials) response was timely, I have ordered the rescue authorities to quickly rescue all and I assure you that a proper investigation will follow this incident,” said Chohan.

ARY News correspondent, however, added that the fire brigade took about an hour to start efforts to douse the fire as the first fire engine brought to the spot had a shorter ladder than required to douse the blaze.

Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar too took notice of the incident and ordered rescue officials to quickly extinguish the fire. He ordered RESCUE 1122 and fire brigade to make sure all the victims should be evacuated safely from the building.