A massive fire broke out in the shops near the Gulberg Nothia railway track in Peshawar, Pakistan. The blaze, which started in a cluster of mostly second-hand shops that were encroaching on the railway lines, quickly spread to adjoining residential areas, causing widespread panic and destruction.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started in the early afternoon and rapidly grew in intensity, with thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. The rescue emergency services immediately dispatched three fire engines to the scene, but the sheer scale of the blaze necessitated the deployment of additional resources.
The rescue teams mobilized a total of 12 fire vehicles to battle the flames and prevent the fire from spreading further. Residents of the affected neighborhoods were quickly evacuated, and no casualties have been reported so far.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest that the presence of highly flammable materials and the close proximity of the shops to the railway tracks may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.