Ludhiana: A major fire broke out at a hosiery unit located in Deep Nagar, Civil Lines, on Thursday afternoon, triggering panic among workers and residents. Several workers had a narrow escape in the blaze, reported between 1.30pm and 2pm. They managed to run out of the building on time. According to initial information, two workers lost consciousness after inhaling smoke while trying to exit but were declared out of danger after being rushed for medical treatment.Sources said many workers were sitting outside in the sun after their lunch break when they suddenly noticed smoke and flames rising from the building. Panic ensued and the workers immediately rushed out to safety. In the process, one worker realised that a colleague was still trapped inside. Workers entered the unit and managed to rescue him. They said one or two workers had inhaled smoke and were rushed to hospital. Fire brigade teams were alerted and multiple fire tenders reached the spot to control the blaze.
Residents living nearby said flames were visible from windows of upper floors, and windowpanes began cracking due to the heat. They said there was pandemonium in the area, with people fearing that the fire would spread to adjoining houses. They reported that the blaze was largely concentrated on the second and third floors of the building, while the ground and first floors remained safe. Firefighters began dousing the flames from the terrace of a neighbouring building before entering the unit. Residents claimed that the building also started developing cracks during the firefighting operation. Fire tenders reportedly made more than 50 rounds before the flames were doused. Fire officials remained at the site to ensure that the blaze was completely extinguished.Leading fireman Rajinder Kumar said the exact cause of the fire was unknown as the team had not been able to gather detailed information. He said that when the fire brigade arrived, flames had already engulfed large portions of the building. Confirming that material, goods and machinery kept on the second and third floors had been destroyed, he said there was no loss of life or casualty in the incident.Another fire official said the building was originally an old house that had been converted into a factory, with multiple internal partitions. He stated that this structural layout made it difficult for the fire brigade to control the blaze quickly. The official added that the surrounding area consisted mostly of residential houses, and hosiery units should not be operating in such localities.INCENDIARY HOSIERIES? Fire breaking out in hosiery units is a common occurence in Ludhiana, with cases compounded by lack of fire safety measures and narrow alleys making firefighting difficult. CASES IN 2025 Hosiery Waste Godown Fire — Tibba Road (Gopal Nagar)A massive fire broke out at a hosiery waste godown in Gopal Nagar late on Jan 9, 2025, destroying clothing waste like yarn, cotton and polyester stocked inside. Firefighters took about six hours to control the blaze; no injuries or casualties were reported.Open Hosiery Waste Stock Fire — Mayapuri, Tibba RoadOn the night of Nov 7, 2025, a large stock of hosiery waste kept in the open at Mayapuri, Tibba Road caught fire. Flames spread quickly due to the highly flammable material. Fire tenders took around three hours to douse the fire; fortunately, there were no injuries or casualties.Hosiery Fire in Old MadhopuriA fire broke out at a hosiery garment shop in Old Madhopuri on Sept 4, 2025. The blaze was intensified by a large stock of garments on both floors, but since the shop was closed, there were no casualties. Hosiery Waste Blaze (Shakti Nagar)In April 2025, one of a series of three consecutive fire incidents reported in Ludhiana involved hosiery waste stored in an open plot in Shakti Nagar catching fire. Fire tenders controlled that blaze in around two hours with no casualtiesMSID:: 126547337 413 |
