According to fire department officials, as many as 15 fire tenders were pressed into service and it took nearly one-and-a-half hours to control the flames. A short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire.

Mandeep Singh, a resident of Phase-2 in Mohali, said: “I noticed the fire while returning home and called up the fire brigade. The fire appeared to have started in Lucky Furnitures.”

Ved Prakash of M S Furnitures said they left for their homes around 8.45 pm after closing the shops.

“We had barely reached near Sector 35 when we received news about the fire. On returning to the market, we found most of the material engulfed by the flames,” added Prakash.

Sources with the Fire Brigade department claimed that the shops lacked fire-safety equipment and housed several highly combustible materials.

“Many shops stocked thinner, denatured spirit, coir stacks, besides clothes. With the shops so close together, the fire spread quickly,” added a fire department official.

The shopkeepers, meanwhile, protested against the “lackadaisical” attitude of the Administration. “We have requested the Electricity department several times to fix up the loose electricity wires, but they never paid heed,” said Narinder Bhandari of Avtar Furniture.

The shopkeepers further added that the Administration had earlier promised to provide them space in Maloya after carrying out a survey in the markets. Nothing has been done and the matter is still hanging fire, rued a shopkeeper.

Union Minister of State for Finance Pawan Kumar Bansal, leaders of other political parties, Municipal Corporation Commissioner and senior police officers were also present at the spot.

Mayor Kamlesh said a recommendation will be made to the Administration for providing adequate compensation to those shopkeepers who have lost their materials in the fire.

The road passing through the market, from Beant Singh Memorial roundabout to Phase 1 of Mohali, is likely to remain closed on Monday as the shopkeepers have dumped the materials on the road.