LAHORE: A major fire broke out at Gerry’s Dnata Shed at Allama Iqbal International Airport during the early hours of Tuesday, causing extensive damage to imported consignments and resulting in significant losses to both importers and the national exchequer.
According to initial reports, the fire erupted around 2:00am and rapidly engulfed the entire Gerry’s Shed, which handles a large volume of imported cargo arriving at the Lahore airport. Sources confirmed that all imported consignments present in the shed at the time were completely destroyed.
The fire also spread to the adjacent Royal Shed, causing partial damage there as well. However, the full extent of the losses in both sheds is yet to be determined.
When contacted by this correspondent, Gerry’s manager could not be reached despite repeated attempts. However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation. No official statement has yet been released regarding whether the fire was accidental or due to negligence or sabotage.
The incident has reportedly inflicted huge financial losses to the national exchequer, particularly in the form of customs duties and taxes on the destroyed consignments. The Collector Customs, Allama Iqbal International Airport, has been approached to assess the value of the imported goods that were burnt and determine the duty and tax losses incurred.
Importers have expressed serious concern, stating that high-value goods including electronics, garments, spare parts, and other commercial items were among the destroyed cargo. Many fear that the lack of adequate fire safety measures contributed to the scale of the disaster.
Authorities are currently assessing the total damage while fire and rescue services have fully extinguished the blaze. An official inquiry is expected to be launched to determine the exact cause and fix responsibility for the incident. This is a developing story and facts are being confirmed through official channels.
