PHAGWARA: A devastating fire reduced the renowned Bhatia Crockery House, located in the congested Bazar Bansan Wala area of Phagwara, to ashes late on Diwali night. The blaze, which reportedly broke out around 10:40 p.m., raged for several hours and could be seen from a distance, creating panic in the densely populated market.
More than 40 fire tenders from Phagwara and adjoining towns were pressed into service and battled the inferno for over six hours, working tirelessly through the night to bring the flames under control. Despite their efforts, the entire building suffered extensive damage. Preliminary reports suggest that waste cardboard stored on the fourth-floor rooftop might have caught fire, possibly from a stray firecracker or due to a short circuit in the electrical wiring. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.