Handloom store gutted in Panipat

Tribune News Service

Panipat, November 12

A handloom store at the Amar Bhawan Chowk market in Textile City was reportedly gutted in a devastating fire on Thursday. Though the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that a short circuit led to it.

As many as 15 fire fighters of the Municipal Corporation Panipat took more than two hours to douse the flames. While no human casualty was reported in the incident, textile goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed.

As per the information available, the blaze at Madhu Traders was reported around 2.20 pm.

Rameshwar Singh, Fire Safety Officer, said six fire tenders were sent to the spot immediately to douse the flames. As many as 30 firemen were at the job and they controlled the fire within an hour.

He refuted the allegations of his team reaching late and said the showroom was in the main market, with congested streets and low-hanging electricity wires. Besides, there was a huge rush on the main roads as well as in the markets due to the ongoing festival season. But the team still reached within 15-18 minutes, he claimed.

It was a three-storey building with a basement, filled with blankets, curtains and other handloom products. The fire engulfed all floors but no casualty was reported, he added.