PESHAWAR – A deadly fire tore through a residential building in Peshawar’s densely populated Kochi Bazaar early Tuesday morning, leaving four people dead and three others critically injured.
According to officials from Rescue 1122, the blaze erupted in the early hours and quickly engulfed the house, located in a congested part of the city. Emergency teams rushed to the scene and managed to pull three individuals out of the burning structure. All were transported to the hospital in critical condition but tragically succumbed to their injuries. A fourth victim, rescued later and taken to the hospital, also did not survive.
Three other individuals were successfully rescued and are currently receiving treatment in the burns unit of a local hospital.
The fire severely impacted electricity supply in Kochi Bazaar and nearby Chowk Nasir Khan. It took over six fire trucks and 40 rescue personnel to fully bring the blaze under control after a prolonged and difficult operation.
Rescue 1122 confirmed that two of their firefighters fainted during the intense effort due to extreme heat and smoke inhalation. The rescue operation was further hampered by the area’s narrow alleyways, which made maneuvering fire vehicles and equipment a significant challenge.
Eyewitnesses reported critical delays and equipment issues during the response. The initial water tanker ran dry shortly after arriving on the scene, and one of the fire trucks experienced mechanical failure with its hose system, forcing authorities to dispatch a third vehicle to continue the firefighting efforts.
Authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the fire, and an investigation is currently underway.
This tragic incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by emergency services in older, densely built parts of the city, where infrastructure limitations can dramatically hinder response efforts.
