A massive fire broke out in a locked house located in the Arora Rasta locality of Sultanpur Lodhi, reducing valuables worth lakhs of rupees to ashes. Fortunately, no one was present inside the house at the time of the incident, preventing any loss of life. However, the affected family suffered a major financial setback.
The house belongs to a widow whose husband passed away a few months ago. At the time of the incident, the woman had gone to Jalandhar with her children for some work and the house was locked. Residents of the area were alarmed after noticing thick black smoke and flames rising from inside the house. They immediately informed the Fire Brigade.
Fire Brigade teams rushed to the spot, but the rescue operation was initially hampered by the high boundary walls surrounding the house. Despite the challenge, firefighters scaled the walls, broke open the locks and entered the house to douse the blaze.
After considerable effort, the fire was brought under control and prevented from spreading to neighbouring houses, averting a much bigger disaster. The fire, suspected to have been caused by a short-circuit or some other unknown reason, destroyed the household belongings.
Furniture, clothes, electronic appliances and stored ration were burnt. Preliminary estimates suggest that the family suffered losses running into several lakhs of rupees.
Local residents urged the Chief Minister and the district administration to provide immediate compensation and financial assistance to help the family rebuild their lives.
