Lahore mall fire kills 13

At least 13 people have reportedly died in a fire in a shopping centre in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

People gather at the entrance of a damaged building in Lahore

A fire has erupted in a busy market in the Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least 11 people. (AAP)

A fire in a shopping mall in the Pakistani city of Lahore killed at least 13 people, according to local media reports.

The fire broke out at the oldest shopping centre in the eastern city, which is considered Pakistan's cultural centre.

Video footage shows rescuers escorting the wounded into ambulances as firefighters struggle to beat back the blaze with extinguishers.

Mohammed Usman, a city government official on the scene of the blaze, said the victims died of suffocation and burns. They included a woman and a child.

Usman said the fire burned the main gate of the shopping centre, where watches and clothes are sold. He said there was no exit in the back of the mall. Usman said the fire was caused by a short circuit in one of the shops.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief over the deadly blaze, and directed the government to accelerate rescue and relief efforts.


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Source: AAP


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