QUETTA: A massive fire broke out at a shopping centre on Fatah Muhammad Road, a major commercial area in Quetta, on Tuesday morning, destroying over 120 shops and causing billions of rupees in damages.
The fire, which erupted between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., is believed to have been caused by a short circuit and quickly spread throughout the entire centre. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, though three firefighters lost consciousness during the operation. Authorities are currently assessing the financial losses caused by the blaze.
Police arrived at the scene promptly, evacuating 14 hairdressers and a security guard. Firefighting teams from the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation initially responded with 13 fire engines. Due to the fire’s intensity, additional support was provided by fire tenders from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the Frontier Corps (FC).
According to Deputy Commissioner Quetta Mehrullah Badini, the fire started in a single shop and rapidly spread to neighbouring outlets, which included stores selling electronics, garments, mobile phones, and shoes. A total of 70 firefighters from multiple agencies, including the police, PDMA, WASA, and FC, participated in the operation, which lasted about five hours.
