Ludhiana, Oct. 7 -- Panic gripped Geeta Nagar, Tibba Road, in the early hours of Monday after a massive fire broke out at the well-known hosiery unit - Shri Ram Hosiery. The blaze spread rapidly and engulfed the entire factory within minutes, sending thick clouds of smoke into the sky and creating chaos in the area.

Factory owner Shri Ram said he received a call about the fire around 4 am. When he rushed to the spot, he saw flames leaping out of the building. He immediately alerted the fire department, after which 7 to 8 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly five hours before bringing it under control. By then, the fire had completely destroyed machinery, raw material, finished stock and furnitu...