Showroom gutted in Katra Jaimal Singh

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 22

Panic gripped the congested Katra Jaimal Singh area after fire engulfed the upper floor of a showroom, Ramesh Shoes, of shoes here today.

Around 10 fire tenders were pressed into service and it took around four hours to douse the fire. The fire brigade had a tough time, as the firemen were finding it difficult to use the water canon on the fire due to the closed shutters.

When they summoned a crane, Powercom employees entered into an argument with them and the shopkeepers as the crane could snap the power cable. However, the policemen present on the spot intervened and the work of dousing the fire resumed after breaking the shutters on the top floor of the shoes showroom. Nearby shops including Vimal Emporium, Punjabi Jutti Corner and Vijay Shoes were evacuated for safety concerns.Fire tender officials said the shopkeepers had installed generator sets on the roof with diesel cans and this could have led to a major fire incident leading to loss of life. However, people removed the diesel cans from the roofs in a timely manner and a major mishap was averted.

A shopkeeper said the fire erupted at around 12 noon and the fire tenders doused it by 4 pm. The firemen said short-circuiting or sparks from generator sets could be the reason behind the fire.