Shah Alam Market burns

LAHORE – “Forget about the house, just run along with a hand bag and fill it with little but costly items”, a local resident was ordering his wife and other relatives after seeing the fire engulfing near by buildings after damaging 11 plazas, two houses and three mosques located at the Shah Alam Market.
Akbar, a local resident, was sleeping inside his house when the fire erupted inside the Baheria Plaza. He immediately came out of his house, thinking that rescue officials will soon overcome the fire. “But things went wrong well-beyond my expectations and flames kept spreading to the nearby building”, said Akbar while talking to Pakistan Today.
He said that only two hours later, they started feeling the heat inside their house and heard announcements by other people to evacuate the house located adjacent to the plazas. “My wife was crying for our house but I ordered her to leave the house along with our children and valuables, which she could easily carry”, said Akbar.
Until late on Monday evening, rescuers were battling the fire but at that time my family was safe and had gone to some relatives living in another area to save their lives at least, he said. It was not only Akbar, who feared loosing everything due to the fire. All were in a state of chaos and evacuating their houses in order to save their lives.
The residential area was too congested, populated and a huge mob gathered in the area as locals faced immense problems in shifting their baggage and important household items. Other locals showed generosity and hospitality towards those whose houses were close to the fire.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Khalid Plaza Owner Muhammad Khalid said that he had a large stock of plastic utensils, cigarettes and body sprays, which were reduced to ashes. He said that most shops located in the plaza had stocks of flammable things and these plazas were so congested that it helped the fire spread. Khalid said that he lived next to his plaza adding that his family was moved to a safer place.
It was a good sign that people were helping others with open hearts, Khalid added. Haroon Islam, an aged man living in the area for several years, told Pakistan Today that he had never seen such a huge fire. He said that his family was living in the Walled City where streets were congested and houses too close, which helped the fire spread.
Haroon said that his family shifted to a safer place along with valuable items, as the fire was approaching his house. The fire was highly-inflammable, which forced people to shift their valuables in a hurry while citizens gathered at the Bhaati Gate Ground to catch a glimpse of the fire.
Traders were also seen shifting their stocks to safer places while police and rescue officials cordoned-off the area so that people could not panic.