A devastating fire erupted in a residential unit within Peshawar’s densely populated Kochi Bazaar in the early hours of Tuesday, resulting in four fatalities and three injuries. Rescue 1122 officials reported that firefighters initially pulled three individuals alive from the burning building, rushing them to the hospital in critical condition. Tragically, all three succumbed to their injuries. Later, another man was hospitalized with severe burns, but he too could not survive.
Meanwhile, the other three rescued individuals are receiving treatment in the hospital’s burns ward. The inferno, which also disrupted the power supply in Kochi Bazaar and the adjacent Chowk Nasir Khan areas, was eventually brought under control after a prolonged and arduous effort by six fire vehicles and 40 personnel. Rescue 1122 indicated that two of their firefighters fainted during the operation due to the intense heat and smoke, highlighting the perilous conditions. The narrow alleyways characteristic of the area significantly hindered firefighting operations.
An eyewitness account revealed that the initial water tanker dispatched with the rescue team ran out of water within minutes. Furthermore, one of the fire bowsers experienced mechanical issues with its nozzle and pipe fittings, necessitating the deployment of a third vehicle to continue dousing the flames.
