Day after Sector 53 market fire: Provide us concrete booths, shop owners request Chandigarh civic body

Narendra Kumar, a store owner said, “We have requested permanent and concrete booths for ourselves, but the
administration has not yet made a decision. Every year there are fire incidents and since there isn’t a permanent building, the fire spreads quickly and causes a big loss.”

“In 2020, a fire incident took place in which we had a loss of Rs 10 lakh and this year we have suffered a Rs 15 lakh loss. To rebuild the shop and for manufacturing, we took a loan and this year the same incident happened. We urge the administration to provide a safe place and the resources to resolve this kind of incident,” Umang, another furniture shop owner, said.

The Chandigarh fire department is yet to ascertain the exact reason behind the fire that broke out at the Sector 53 furniture market on Wednesday.

A third furniture shop owner said, “I was out of town when the incident happened. I have insurance of Rs 23 lakh. In my absence, my workers tried to take out the goods amid the fire but failed. I endured a loss of Rs 27 lakh.”

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Sanjeev, official bearer of the furniture market welfare association said, “Every year fire incidents are reported and we face huge losses – this time damage is worth Rs 40 lakh…we are unable to request the claim since we have not insured the shops.”

A total of 12 shops and one tea shop were gutted in the fire. Around nine fire tenders from Chandigarh and two from Mohali had been called to douse the flames.