Massive fire destroys sweets shop in Phagwara’s Hargobind Nagar

A renowned sweets shop in the posh Hargobind Nagar locality of Phagwara was completely gutted in  a major fire on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

The blaze caused extensive damage to property and stock, reducing the entire interior of Novelty Sweets — including furniture, air conditioners, and sweets inventory — to ashes. Only the main building structure was left standing.

According to Shankar Dass Dhir, the owner of the shop, the fire was first spotted by the night watchman who noticed smoke emanating from the premises around midnight. Acting swiftly, the chowkidar rushed to inform the family members of the shop owner — Mintu, Aneek, and Sudarshan — who immediately proceeded to the scene. Realising the seriousness of the situation, they contacted the local Fire Brigade without delay.

However, by the time fire engines reached the spot, the fire had already engulfed much of the shop. The intensity of the blaze made firefighting a challenging task. It took five fire tenders and more than three hours of continuous effort by firefighters to bring the situation under control.

Eyewitnesses described the fire as fierce and fast-spreading, with flames shooting high into the air and thick smoke blanketing the area. Despite the swift response, the rapid spread of the fire left little room for salvage. Most of the goods, including expensive electrical fittings, display counters, storage cabinets, and raw materials, were completely destroyed.

Preliminary investigations point towards a short circuit in the internal power lines as the likely cause of the fire.

The financial loss, though yet to be formally assessed, is expected to run into several lakhs of rupees, considering the scale of the damage and the shop’s commercial value. Novelty Sweets was one of the most well-known sweet shops in the area, attracting customers from across the city, especially during festive seasons and weddings.