Another day, another fire

Ludhiana: A day after a factory collapsed following a major fire in Ludhiana, a cycle seat manufacturing unit in a thickly populated area near Dhuri Line on Gill Road went up in flames on Saturday evening. Importantly, there was no fire safety arrangement inside the factory.
The firemen had a tough time in controlling the fire due to toxic smoke in the factory.
The fire was reported in Sethi and Sons at street number 5 and the fire brigade was informed about the incident at 5.40pm.
Some of the workers were still inside the factory when the fire broke out, but they came out safely. Nobody was injured in the incident.
Sub-fire officer Maninder said two fire tenders from Gill Road fire station were pressed into service. He said fire engulfed the first floor of the building and it proved difficult to reach the floor due to narrow stairs. The toxic smoke coming out of the unit also made their task difficult, he added. The firemen were forced to come out through the window to inhale some fresh air.
He said they controlled the fire in an hour. The factory owner, who had claimed that fire occurred due to short circuit, had taken no fire safety measures, the officer added.
Fire even spread panic in the area. People in large number gathered near the unit.