PHAGWARA: In a devastating incident that unfolded shortly after midnight, the iconic Novelty Sweets shop in the posh Hargobind Nagar locality of Phagwara was completely gutted in a major fire. The blaze caused extensive damage to property and stock, reducing the entire interior of the shop — including furniture, air conditioners, and sweets inventory — to ashes. Only the main building structure was left standing.
According to Shankar Dass Dhir, the owner of the famed sweet shop, the fire was first spotted by the night watchman who noticed smoke emanating from the premises around midnight. Acting swiftly, the chowkidar rushed to inform the family members of the shop owner — Mintu, Aneek, and Sudarshan — who immediately proceeded to the scene. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, they contacted the local Fire Brigade without delay.
However, by the time fire engines reached the spot, the fire had already engulfed much of the shop. The intensity of the blaze made firefighting a challenging task. It took five fire tenders and more than three hours of continuous effort by firefighters to bring the situation under control.