'Novelty Sweets' gutted by massive fire in Phagwara

In a devastating incident, Novelty Sweets shop in the posh Hargobind Nagar locality here was gutted by a major fire. The blaze caused extensive damage to property, reducing the interior of the shop, 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 a night watchman. He noticed smoke emanating from the premises around midnight. Acting swiftly, he rushed to inform the family members of shop owner Mintu, Aneek and Sudarshan, who immediately proceeded to the scene. Realising the seriousness of the situation, they contacted the local Fire Brigade.

However, by the time fire engines reached the spot, the fire had 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 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 destroyed.

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

The financial loss, though yet to be 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.

No casualties or injuries have been reported in the incident as the fire broke out after business hours and the premises were unoccupied at the time.