Fire at godown in shoe market, shopkeepers panic

Tribune News Service

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Ludhiana, June 11

A minor fire broke out in the godown of a garment trader in shoe market near Clock Tower here today.

The incident induced panic in the area, as the market witnesses huge rush, especially on Sundays.

The fire broke out in the godown in the basement of Bittu Laat Wala store. The incident came to fore when the store owner noticed smoke billowing out of the godown. He immediately informed the fire brigade. A fire tender doused the flames in an hour.

Markets near clock tower are crowded and witness huge rush on the weekends. When incident came to fore, several nearby shopkeeper shut their shops precautionary.

A fire official said he was told by the shopkeeper that the fire took place because someone had negligently thrown a burning cigarette in the godown and the stock caught fire. Had the fire spread in the multi-storey building, loss could have been in lakhs, he said.