Ludhiana, August 23 A major fire broke out at a waste plastic-recycling unit here today. Ten fire engines were rushed to the spot after the fire broke out around 11:15 am. The firefighters took around four hours to douse the flames at Ahuja Enterprises, near Cycle Market, on Gill Road. The exact loss is yet to be ascertained. The workers rushed out to safety when they came to know about the fire. As the plastic materials were stored in the factory, the flames quickly spread to the entire building. Smoke engulfed the area and it could be seen from a distrance of over 1 km. A short-circuit was the suspected reason behind the fire incident. Fire Officer Srishti Nath said the fire engines were rushed to the spot when they received information about the fire. There were no fire safety arrangements in place at the building. No injury or casualty was reported in the incident, he added. Panic had gripped the nearby shopkeepers when fire broke out at the unit. Some locals claimed that they had been demanding for a long time the plastic unit be shifted, but to no avail. They claimed that the area was congested. The fire could have spread to the entire market had it been not controlled timely, they said. Meanwhile, the firefighters were forced to work without proper equipment and safety gear. The government had so far failed to provide them with fire safety suits and eye protectors.

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