300 stalls gutted in Islamabad’s H-9 weekly bazaar

ISLAMABAD: Over 300 stalls of clothing and garments were gutted in H-9 weekly bazaar in a big fire, which erupted in wee hours of Tuesday, a few hours before opening of bazaar’s timing.The weekly bazaar is located a few meters from the Metro Bus parking area, where the Maulana Fazalur Rehman-led ‘Azadi’ March had been allowed to hold public meeting or stage sit-in.According official reports, a total of 302 stalls were completely destroyed in fire, which was spotted by watchman on duty near Gate no. 9 at around 3:40 a.m. and rapidly engulfed sections D, E and H series stalls of clothing, ‘lunda’, shoes and other miscellaneous items.According to official sources, the Fire Brigade Headquarters control room of the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) received call from watchman at 3:56 a.m. The fire was controlled within an hour with hectic efforts of 120 fire-fighters with the help of 12 fire tenders of Fire Brigade Islamabad, Rawalpindi’s 1122 and Pakistan Navy, an official who was involved in the operation said. The cooling process, however, continued for the next an hour time.No loss of lives, however, was reported as the fire was erupted when bazaar was closed. The stallholders whose stalls were gutted in fire reached the spot after sunrise and they were seen weeping over huge loss, the eye-witnesses said.The loss to selling goods of stall holders is said to be between Rs150 to 200 million due to fire which was fourth and second big fire within a period of around two and half years. An official of MCI said the fire was caused by short-circuiting but another official requesting not to be named did not rule out sabotage act behind the tragedy.Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat has ordered inquiry into the incident. He said the fire was controlled within an hour saying that foolproof arrangements would be made so that such incidents do not take place in future.The weekly bazaar, which was shifted from Sector G-9 to H-9, when Kamran Lashari was CDA chairman due to construction of the 9th Avenue, opens on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday every week.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/31ZllgU