Four people died in a major fire that broke out due to a suspected short circuit in a photo laboratory in the Sector 22 market around 8.15 pm on Thursday. 

Roxy and Dashmesh Digital Laboratories, dealing in lamination work and making of video films, were completely gutted along with ten other shops. An eyewitness, Vivek Nijhawan, said laboratory workers jumped out of the windows of the showrooms located on the first floor to save their lives.

Sunny (29), an employee of New Sood Photos, was taken to the PGI where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Three others, identified as Manoj, Shivam and Mahesh, were rushed to GMSH-16 where doctors declared them dead on arrival. They were training to be photographers at India Movies located next to New Sood Photos.

Passersby called the fire brigade, which reached nearly 30 minutes late. Ten fire tenders were pressed into service. Sources said cardboards, chemicals and lamination material in the shops located on the first floor fuelled the fire. Firemen were seen using hammers and iron rods to break their way in as advertisement banners and air-conditioners proved an obstruction. Banners and air-conditioners on fire had to be broken before the firemen could reach to help those trapped inside. The chaos aggravated as fire tenders found it difficult to enter the market due to haphazardly parked vehicles . People were seen pushing and lifting vehicles to make way for the fire tenders.

Police tried to cordon off the area but failed as eager bystanders continued to flock to the area. More than two hours after the fire broke out, the exact number of those trapped inside could not be ascertained. While police officers and firemen maintained everybody had been rescued, shopkeepers insisted more were trapped in the shops. Around 10.20 pm, a fireman broke into a showroom and rescued a man.

Subsequently, few firemen entered the showroom and managed to take out four persons. Two firemen, identified as Sandeep and Joginder, were taken to the GMSH-16. The condition of Sandeep is stated to be critical while Joginder is being treated for minor injuries. Later, Deputy Commissioner R K Rao, Senior Superintendent of Police S S Srivastava, ASP Madhur Verma and BJP candidate Satya Pal Jain reached the spot.