Fire in Kanpur mall, sixty feared trapped

KANPUR: A major fire broke out in the multi-storeyed City Centre mall here on Wednesday and several fire tenders were rushed to rescue those trapped inside.

Several of the 60 people, said to be trapped inside the building, have been brought down by ladders of the fire department and efforts were on rescue the others, Kanpur District Magistrate Anurag Shrivastav said.

"There are no casualties so far. Fire tenders are being used to rescue the people inside the building," he said.

The fire, which broke out in the sixth floor of the building housing shops and offices, engulfed the entire floor in a short while with huge amounts of smoke billowing out.

Several fire tenders from various areas of the city have been rushed to the spot to bring the blaze under control and prevent casualties, Shrivastava, who rushed to the spot, said.

A cinema hall Heer Palace, close to the building, has been evacuated as a precautionary measure and traffic diverted from the area to allow the fire brigade to carry out its rescue work, he said

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kanpur, Abhaya Kumar and other senior officials have also rushed to the spot to oversee the rescue operations.