1 hurt as firecracker shop gutted
A firecracker shop in Dhab Gharial village, near Jalalabad town in Fazilka district, caught fire late Thursday evening. A large quantity of firecrackers worth lakhs was reduced to ashes within minutes.
Villagers rushed to the scene to help extinguish the flames; however, by the time they arrived, the entire stock had been destroyed. The shop owner, Vipin, was present during the incident and sustained burn injuries. He was quickly taken to the Jalalabad Civil Hospital for treatment.
While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, it is believed that it may have been sparked by a falling ember onto the displayed firecrackers.
In a separate incident, three shops near the busy Clock Tower Chowk in Fazilka also caught fire, resulting in significant damage. According to DSP Tarsem Masih, the fire originated in the storage area of a sweet seller and spread to two nearby shops. Fire department personnel rescued four individuals, including a woman, who were trapped inside.
Firefighters arrived promptly and managed to extinguish the flames. Despite administration directives to display firecrackers only in designated areas by licensed vendors, many shops in Fazilka and Jalalabad were found to be displaying large quantities of firecrackers in violation of these guidelines.
