A major fire broke out at the Lal Bagh Restaurant at around 6:00pm today. The fire was controlled after more than an hour of hard efforts, conducted by 4 fire tankers who reached the spot. No one was hurt but there was severe property damage and huge losses are expected.

The fire gutted the outhouse, constructed next to the seminar hall. All 4 rooms of the floor have been destroyed by the fire. At the initial sight of fire, restaurant staff tried to control the situation on their own until the fire brigade arrived. Later, firemen brought the situation under control.

Vinod Bordia, co-owner of Lal Bagh, had said that the fire might have broken out due to a short circuit; the area affected by the fire is not a part of Lal Bagh restaurant, but a separate personal property. The fire was so intense that it also affected the adjacent roof of the restaurant’s seminar hall. Municipal council chairman Rajni Dangi with Commissioner Bal Mukund Asawa and the Area Councilor Jyoti Tak had also reached the spot to examine the aftereffects of the fire. The area was fully constructed with wood along with metal beams in between. While the exact amount of loss is unclear at present, it is estimated to be around Rs.3-5 Lakhs. Photos by Akhtar Khan, Report by Sayeed Ahmed