LAHORE (MNN); Two people lost their lives and at least six others were injured after a fire broke out at a hotel in Lahoreās Gulberg area on Saturday, according to hospital and rescue officials.
Hospital authorities confirmed that the deceased were identified as 30-year-old Imran and 25-year-old Shehryar. Both were among those rescued from the building and later succumbed to their injuries. Their bodies were shifted to the hospital following the rescue operation.
Rescue 1122 officials said six injured individuals were pulled out of the affected hotel, while one employee, identified as Riaz, remains missing. A total of 275 guests and staff members were safely evacuated during the operation.
Rescue officials said seven people were recovered from severely affected sections of the building. Among the injured, a man identified as Mubeen sustained burn injuries to approximately 40 per cent of his body.
According to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, the emergency call was received at 12:25 p.m., prompting the dispatch of 21 emergency vehicles to the scene. Firefighters later managed to bring the blaze under control, while cooling operations are still underway due to persistent smoke in the basement.
Officials said the fire broke out in a 19-storey hotel plaza spread over four kanals, comprising three basement levels. Basement One was reported to be the most severely affected.
Search and rescue operations are continuing to locate the missing employee as teams work to clear smoke-filled areas of the building.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz praised the rapid response of rescue teams, saying immediate action helped prevent further loss of life.
In a post on X, the chief minister said the response teams were mobilised without delay, with Energy Minister Faisal Khokhar, the commissioner, deputy commissioner and other senior officials present at the site to supervise the operation.
She said the explosion of the air-conditioning system boiler was intense, but credited the swift, professional and courageous efforts of Rescue 1122 and the Fire Brigade for bringing the fire under control.
The chief minister also noted that newly installed fire hydrants were fully functional and that recently implemented standard operating procedures played a key role in containing the incident.
She added that strict instructions had been issued to ensure all commercial boiler and cylinder installations across Punjab comply with safety standards, warning that any premises found endangering public safety would be sealed immediately.
