A massive fire broke out on Monday night (November 9) at a scrap shop in the Jahazgarh area of Amritsar, in the city's scrap (kabadi) market, gutting several shops and spreading panic in the locality. As soon as the fire department received the information, it moved into action and began relief and firefighting operations at the spot.

Source: TV9 Punjabi

According to a fire department officer, the control room received information about the fire at around 8:15 pm, and two to three fire tenders were immediately sent to the spot. Top Indian News reported on Tuesday morning that several shops were gutted in the blaze at Amritsar's Jahazgarh market.

Source: Top Indian News

MLA, commissioner and mayor reached the spot

Seeing the seriousness of the situation and the fierce flames, senior officials were informed. The area MLA, the Municipal Commissioner and the Mayor themselves reached the spot to take stock of the situation, and on their directions all senior fire department officers and additional staff rushed to the scene. Around 10 fire tenders were deployed one after another to stop the fire from spreading.

Firefighters brought the fire fully under control after about two hours of hard work. Officials confirmed that the main flames were doused within about an hour and a half and only smoke remained after that. Extra precautions were taken to save nearby shops and buildings from damage.

No injuries; cause under investigation

Officials said it was a matter of relief that no one was injured in the incident. The fire has been completely extinguished, but fire tenders remained on standby at the spot as a precaution so that there is no risk of the fire flaring up again. The exact cause of the fire is being investigated, and officials said full details would be shared after the cooling operation and the preliminary investigation are complete. An official assessment of the loss to the gutted shops had not been shared at the time of publishing.