Fire near Clock Tower triggers panic in Chowk

Lucknow: Panic spread across the Chowk area on Wednesday after a massive fire broke out near the Clock Tower, sending plumes of smoke into the sky and triggering chaos among local residents and shopkeepers.Officials said the fire originated in a scrap shop owned by Miraj, a resident of Daliganj’s Bansmandi area. The shop was completely gutted, with all stored scrap material reduced to ashes. A scooter parked at the site was also destroyed in the incident.The blaze, which erupted around 9:20 am, quickly intensified in the congested locality, prompting fears of a major disaster as flames threatened nearby shops and an electricity transformer. Eyewitnesses said people rushed out of their homes and shops in fear, while traffic in the area came to a standstill.According to chief fire officer Ankush Mittal, three fire tenders from the Chowk fire station were immediately rushed to the spot, while a 22,000-litre water bowser from the Hazratganj fire station was deployed to douse the flames.Firefighters cordoned off the entire area and battled for nearly 90 minutes to control the inferno. Their timely and coordinated response prevented the flames from spreading to adjacent establishments and public transport vehicles parked nearby.Despite the intensity of the fire and the panic it triggered, no casualties or injuries were reported. Fire officials said the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be determined.