Ludhiana: A major fire broke out on Wednesday at a residential property located near a petrol pump street in the Bharat Nagar Chowk area, triggering panic among residents and onlookers. The blaze, which originated on the ground floor of the house, quickly spread to the upper levels, prompting an emergency evacuation.
According to initial reports, thick plumes of smoke were first noticed coming out of one of the rooms, soon spreading to an adjacent room. Alarmed by the rising smoke, neighbors alerted the residents and began efforts to rescue them before the situation worsened.
Fortunately, all family members were safely evacuated with the help of locals before the fire intensified. The fire department dispatched three fire tenders to the scene, and crews have managed to bring the situation under control after battling flames for over an hour.
Eyewitnesses at the scene suspect a short circuit may have triggered the fire, although an official confirmation is still awaited from fire safety inspectors.
Firefighters also evacuated residents from nearby homes as a safety measure, fearing the flames might spread due to the densely built neighborhood.
Thread Material Believed to Have Fueled Flames
Rajat Chopra, the homeowner, informed officials that the ground floor of the house was being used to store thread and hosiery material, which may have helped the fire spread rapidly. “As soon as the fire reached the thread stock, it engulfed the entire floor. We were inside and had to scream for help,” Chopra reportedly told authorities.
By the time fire services arrived, the flames had already reached the first floor of the building. While there are no reported injuries, the extent of the property damage remains unknown at this point.
Local police and fire officials are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause and assess safety violations, if any. Meanwhile, traffic around the busy chowk was diverted as a precautionary measure.
The incident has once again raised concerns about electrical safety and fire preparedness in residential areas with commercial storage, especially in tightly packed urban localities like Ludhiana’s Bharat Nagar.
