Scrap market gutted in roadside inferno in Ludhiana

Ludhiana: A massive fire broke out early Thursday morning at an open-air scrap market on RK Road near Ghoda Colony, destroying a large quantity of discarded material, a parked truck, and a crane. Fire officials suspect the blaze was triggered around 5 am by a nearby electricity transformer before it rapidly tore through the roadside junk. No casualties were reported in the incident.Nearby residents noticed thick smoke and towering flames, raising an immediate alarm and notifying the fire department. Although locals initially believed only the transformer was ablaze and attempted to contain it themselves, the fire spread quickly. The intense heat and fear of hidden flammable objects within the scrap created widespread panic, keeping onlookers from approaching the site.The fire department dispatched four to five fire tenders to the scene, requiring more than 15 rounds of water tenders to battle the flames. Firefighters faced difficulties bringing the inferno under control due to the presence of highly combustible items, including discarded perfume bottles, which fueled the destruction.Leading fireman Rajinder Kumar confirmed that while the property damage was extensive, the area was secured without any injuries.