Major fire breaks out at banquet hall in Punjab's Zirakpur, no casualties reported
Zirakpur,, November 3
A major fire broke out at a banquet hall in Zirakpur during a wedding on Sunday, triggering panic among the guests attending the wedding function.
The blaze erupted around 10:30 pm, quickly spreading through the premises as thick smoke enveloped the area. The fire tenders from Zirakpur, Dera Bassi and Panchkula were dispatched to the spot to douse the flames.
The police said that the situation was brought under control and no casualties were reported in the incident.
"A very unfortunate incident has occurred. The good thing is that there is no report of any casualties here. This incident happened around 10:30 PM. As soon as the police received the information about it, they immediately reached the spot... With the help of the fire brigade, we have brought the fire under control... The cause of the fire is being investigated...," ASP Zirakpur, Ghazalpreet Kaur told ANI.
Jaswant Singh, Incharge of the Zirakpur Fire Brigade, said the department received the call around 10:30 pm and deployed five fire tenders to control the blaze. "The fire was massive, but our teams managed to prevent it from spreading further," he said.
According to eyewitnesses, the blaze erupted suddenly inside the banquet hall while the wedding rituals were underway. The flames soon engulfed the adjoining Banquet Hall. The high flames and thick smoke led to a traffic jam on the Zirakpur-Shimla highway.
DSP Zirakpur (IPS) Gazalpreet Kaur said that police teams immediately reached the spot after receiving information. Guests and staff were safely evacuated.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Zirakpur highway already has terrible traffic, and this fire made it worse. But kudos to the emergency services for quick action. Wedding season is peak time for these halls - authorities should conduct surprise safety checks.
As someone who attended a wedding at a similar hall last month, this is really concerning. Many of these venues have poor electrical wiring and inadequate fire exits. The government needs to enforce stricter safety regulations.
Can't imagine the panic among the wedding guests! Shubh karya mein aisi durghatna... But really appreciate the coordinated effort by fire brigade from multiple cities. Hope the wedding couple and families are coping well.
Five fire tenders deployed shows how serious this was. The fire brigade teams deserve appreciation for controlling such a massive blaze without any casualties. This should serve as a wake-up call for all banquet hall owners in Punjab.
While I'm relieved no one was injured, I hope the investigation reveals whether this was due to negligence. Too many commercial establishments compromise on safety to cut costs. Proper fire safety equipment could have prevented this escalation.
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