A major fire broke out inside a shanty located at Pavitar Nagar in Ludhiana on Tuesday, reducing the shanty to ashes. Two school buses parked near the shanty were gutted in the blaze. One school bus and a Nano car was timely shifted to a safe place by the owner, but two buses could not be saved as the flames grew more intense.
According to information, a family residing in the shanty had been running a makeshift quilt-making unit. Cotton and other inflammable material were stored inside the shanty in large quantities. A sudden spark in the stock of cotton took the shape of an intense fire in no time. Occupants of the shanty initially tried to douse the flames of the growing fire but did not succeed. They then rushed out to save their own lives.
Three school buses engaged with a private school in Ludhiana were parked near the shanty. As soon as bus owner Sweeti received information about the fire, he rushed to shift the buses to a safe place but could only manage to save one bus. As the fire turned intense, the flames engulfed two buses. A Nano car parked near the shanty was shifted just in time.
Upon receiving information about the incident, local police and fire brigade teams immediately swung into action. ASI Sudarshan Singh said, “We received information about the fire around 3 pm. I, along with a police party, immediately rushed to the spot."
Initial investigation has revealed that the fire first started in the slum and spread rapidly, engulfing the buses. “Two fire brigade vehicles arrived at the scene and, after considerable effort, brought the flame under control. We are relieved that no casualties have been reported in the accident," said the ASI.
