Questions raised over mysterious fire at Sahulat Bazaar in Kasur

KASUR: A mysterious fire recently gutted over two dozen shops at the Sahulat Bazaar near the Old Lorry Adda, raising questions about the incident. Rescue 1122 reported that the massive blaze broke out in the early hours of Saturday, quickly spreading throughout the market. The area, surrounded by houses, auto workshops, and a petrol pump, saw panic as firefighters responded to the call around 4:50am.

Six firefighting vehicles battled the fire for three hours before bringing it under control. Despite no reported loss of life, property damage was estimated to be in the millions. The Sahulat Bazaar, a government-backed initiative established in 2014, aimed to provide affordable goods such as vegetables, fruit, groceries, shoes, garments, artificial jewellery, and plastic utensils to the public.

Over 100 shops were housed within the facility, monitored by CCTV cameras and guarded by security personnel. However, during the incident, two out of the 25 CCTV cameras were found to be malfunctioning, with the two that failed located at the exact spot where the fire ignited. Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Director Saddam Hussain visited the scene, comforting the affected traders and promising an investigation into the incident. However, no official from the district administration made an appearance at the location.