Jalandhar: A devastating fire broke out at the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) exchange located on Nagra Road in Jalandhar on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Preliminary investigations suggest that the blaze was triggered by a short circuit within the facility. The fire spread with alarming speed, with thick smoke and high-reaching flames quickly engulfing the entire exchange building before emergency services could intervene.
The incident has resulted in property damage worth lakhs of rupees, destroying critical telecommunications hardware and infrastructure. Consequently, communication services across major parts of the city have been severely crippled. Residents in several localities, including Maqsudan, Lidhran, Vidhipur, and Nussi, reported a total blackout of internet services, leased lines, and landline telephone connections, causing significant disruption to both households and local businesses.
Upon receiving news of the disaster, BSNL officials including SDO Manish Kumar, JTO Chamkor, and Preet Mogal rushed to the site with their technical teams and alerted the fire department. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before successfully bringing it under control. While no casualties have been reported, officials confirmed that restoration work is expected to take considerable time due to the extensive damage to the exchange’s internal wiring and servers.
