Ludhiana: Panic gripped Ghati Mohalla in Sunder Nagar on Sunday morning after residents were jolted awake by sounds of loud explosions. When people stepped out of their homes, they saw a CNG truck engulfed in flames. The truck was loaded with foam used for filling mattresses. The highly flammable material caught fire, which raged into a massive ball of flames. The fire brigade was alerted immediately. Miraculously, the driver escaped on the nick of time before fire spread through the vehicle.
Residents out on morning walks sounded the alarm when they saw the burning truck. Within minutes, people gathered at the spot, waiting anxiously for the fire brigade. The Sunder Nagar fire station is located nearby, enabling fire tenders to reach the area within 4 to 5 minutes.Fireman Ravinderjit Singh from Sunder Nagar fire station said they received a call about the blaze at 6.14am. When they arrived, the truck was fully ablaze. Firefighters doused the flames using fire tenders and managed to bring the situation under control. He said electricity wires pass through the area and the team suspected the blaze may have started due to a short circuit in the wires. Nearby residents also complained that a sudden short circuit had damaged AC compressors and other electrical appliances in the vicinity. It took the fire brigade nearly half an hour to extinguish the fire, for which two fire tenders were used. The truck was completely destroyed.Residents of Ghati Mohalla said low hanging wires in the area have been sparking frequently. They also said there are several hosiery units in the area. Had any of these caught fire, a major tragedy would have ensued. They alleged that past incidents of sparking in the wires had been ignored. Tragedy averted Foam used for mattresses is highly flammable, causing the fire to spread quickly Fire brigade reached within 4–5 minutes from the nearby Sunder Nagar station Fire call was received at 6.14am; blaze controlled in about 30 minutes using two fire tenders Fireman Ravinderjit Singh said a short circuit in overhead wires is suspected Residents reported AC compressors and electrical appliances were damahed by a sudden short circuit Locals complained of low-hanging, sparking wires in the area and similar incidents in the past
