By Majid Nabi
Srinagar- A firefighter and a civilian were injured after fire broke out in a shopping complex at Regal Lane in Lal Chowk area of the city here this morning, officials said.
Officials and witnesses told Kashmir Observer that fire broke out in a two-storey shopping complex around 10: 30 this morning creating total chaos and confusion among the shoppers and shopkeepers at Regal Lane in Lal Chowk.
They said the Fire and emergency Department squad reached the spot and doused off the flames with the help of police and locals.
Fire, officials said, broke out in a shop and intensified quickly, engulfing another one adjacent to it in a jiffy. However, the cause of fire could not be immediately ascertained.
A firefighter identified as Gulzar Ahmad and a civilian working as a salesman at a local shop, suffered minor injuries in the incident and were immediately evacuated to the hospital for treatment.
“We alerted the fire and emergency department as soon as we noticed thick smolders emanating out of the shop which had caught fire. Police and locals assisted firefighters in dousing off the flames, but before the inferno could be contained, property worth lakhs of rupees was destroyed,” a shopkeeper told Kashmir Observer.
Confirming the incident, a senior official from the Fire and Emergency Department said that a civilian and a firefighter were injured during the firefighting operation. He said a case was registered in this regard and investigation to ascertain the actual cause of fire is on.