Tragic Fire Claims Lives in Peshawar’s Kochi Bazaar

Early Tuesday morning, a devastating fire erupted in a residential building within the densely populated Kochi Bazaar area of Peshawar. The incident resulted in the loss of four lives and left three individuals injured.

Rescue Efforts and Casualties

Emergency responders from Rescue 1122 initially extracted three people alive from the burning structure. These individuals were immediately transported to a medical facility in critical condition. Regrettably, all three succumbed to their injuries. Later, another man was recovered and taken to the hospital; however, he also passed away due to severe burns.

Medical personnel are providing treatment to three other rescued individuals at the hospital’s burn unit.

Firefighting Operation

The blaze, which also disrupted the power supply to Kochi Bazaar and the adjacent Chowk Nasir Khan vicinity, was eventually contained after a sustained effort. The firefighting operation involved six fire engines and a team of 40 personnel.

Rescue 1122 reported that two of their firefighters experienced fainting spells during the operation due to the intense heat and smoke. The narrow alleyways in the locality significantly hampered firefighting operations.

Challenges Faced

An eyewitness stated that the initial water tanker deployed with the rescue team exhausted its water supply rapidly. Furthermore, a malfunction occurred with the nozzle and pipe fittings of one of the fire bowsers, prompting authorities to request a third vehicle to continue suppressing the flames.