Ludhiana, June 14 -- Panic gripped the busy Pavilion Mall area on Friday afternoon when a Mercedes car parked outside the mall caught fire all of a sudden. No one was injured in the mishap. According to police officials from Division Number 8 police station, the fire is believed to have started from garbage that was deliberately set ablaze by an unidentified individual near the parked vehicle. The flames soon engulfed the front portion of the car.

Witnesses said the fire broke out around 2 pm and quickly intensified, causing thick smoke billowing into the air. The fire brigade was informed. Fire officer Atish Rai, who led the firefighting operation, said, "The fire was intense, but our team managed to control it within minutes. The car's...