LAHORE: A man died while two others injured seriously when a massive fire broke out in a multi-storey plaza on the Queen’s Road near Faisal Chowk, The Mall.

       As per eyewitnesses, the fire engulfed a portion of Rahman Plaza, sending a wave of panic among the traders and others, who immediately left the building to save there lives.

       More than two dozen people got trapped in the plaza because of the dense smoke and leaping flames, a police official said.

       Dozens of vehicles of the Rescue 1122 and other departments were dispatched to the spot to launch operation.

       He said the Rescue 1122 crew managed to rescue 23 people trapped in various portions of the plaza that housed several offices, shops and food outlets.

       The official said the police also rescued three people in serious condition, who were rushed to hospital, where one of them died from burns and suffocation.

       The road was immediately blocked for traffic to facilitate the Rescue 1122 workers.

       He said the rescue teams controlled the blaze after hectic efforts and handed the building over to the police for further investigation and to determine the cause of fire, which could not be ascertained so far.

       The affected traders and shop owners claimed that they suffered losses of hundreds of millions of rupees because of the fire in the plaza.

       Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2022