Three die in Lahore hotel blaze; 275 rescued

LAHORE: At least three people were killed and seven others sustained burn injuries after a fire broke out at a hotel in the Gulberg area of Lahore on Saturday.

Rescue 1122 firefighters swiftly launched a major rescue operation and evacuated 275 occupants from the building.

The fire erupted at the Indigo Hotel on Noor Jehan Road while a school event was underway on the premises.

According to Rescue 1122, an emergency call was received at 12:25pm, after which multiple firefighting and rescue teams were dispatched from the Command and Control Centre.

Rescue officials said that 21 emergency vehicles and around 80 rescuers and officers took part in the operation. Seven people were pulled out from the severely affected area, some of whom had sustained burn injuries.

One of the injured, identified as 46-year-old Mubeen, was shifted to Services Hospital for treatment, while another victim reportedly suffered 30 to 40 per cent burns.

Deputy Commissioner Lahore, retired Capt Ali Ejaz, reached the site and was briefed by the Model Town assistant commissioner, Rescue 1122, Fire Brigade, and Civil Defence officials. He dire­cted the authorities to ensure immediate evacuation of all individuals from the building and to provide first aid before shifting the injured to Services or Jinnah Hospital.

Rescue 1122 stated that the hotel building comprises 19 storeys with three basements and is spread over four kanals. Basement one was the most affected, with heavy smoke posing serious challenges for firefighters and rescuers. Initial findings suggested that the fire may have been caused by a gas leak in the basement.

Officials confirmed that around 275 staff members and guests were safely evacuated from the hotel.

Police said crew members of several foreign airlines were also staying at the hotel at the time of the incident.

During the initial phase of the operation, two people who died from burn injuries were identified as 25-year-old Imran and 30-year-old Shehryar, according to an Edhi Foundation spokesperson.

Edhi volunteers shifted their bodies to the morgue in ambulances and continued assisting in relief efforts at the site.

In a later update, Rescue 1122 said that during a secondary search operation, another body was recovered from the building. The deceased was identified as 30-year-old Riaz, whose body was shifted to Services Hospital.

Response hailed

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz commended the emergency response, saying timely action by Rescue 1122 helped prevent further loss of life.

She said senior provincial officials were immediately directed to reach the site and supervise the rescue and firefighting operation.

The chief minister also shared several updates about the incident on social media platform X. She said the fire had occurred in the basement of the hotel and that 280 people, including 180 guests and 100 staff members, were rescued.

She added that she monitored the evacuation and rescue operation through the Safe City drone system.

The chief minister said the incident was caused by the “explosion of the air-conditioning system boiler”, terming it “severe”.

“Strict directives have been issued: all commercial boiler and cylinder installations across Punjab must fully comply with safety standards. Any premises found compromising public safety will be sealed immediately, without exception,” she said.

Authorities said a detailed investigation had been launched to determine the exact cause of the fire, while cooling and safety inspection work at the building continued.

On Thursday, the Punjab government gave stakeholders two weeks to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) in plazas, schools and hospitals in the wake of Gul Plaza inferno.

“A building grading system has now been introduced across the province, under which safe buildings will be categorised as A-grade, while others will be graded according to their condition. The firefighting sector is being upgraded with modern technology, drones and state-of-the-art equipment,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said at a press conference in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2026