Chandigarh, March 19 -- A major fire broke out in Chandigarh's Sector 22 mobile phone market on Wednesday afternoon, triggering panic in one of the city's busiest commercial zones right opposite the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Sector 17, with firefighters battling the blaze till late into the night. While traders, workersand customers managed to escape safely in the nick of time, the fire caused extensive damage to property as flames rapidly spread through two shop-cum-office (SCO) buildings. The fire was first noticed on the rear side of the second floor of SCO Number 1025, which houses several shops and a photo lab. By the time fire tenders reached the spot, the fire had intensified and began spreading to the front of the building, opposite the ISBT, and to the adjacent SCO Number 1024. Firefighters struggled to access the scene, making their way through encroachments, overhead wires and congested lanes. Haphazard parking further delayed movement, forcing police to tow away vehicles to clear a path for the fire tenders. A total of seven fire tenders were pressed into service, including two hydraulic lifts with turntable ladders from the Chandigarh Fire Brigade. Additional tenders were called in from Mohali and the Ordnance Factory as the firefighting operation stretched for hours. Combustible material stored inside the shops, including chemical solvents, compressors, batteries and packaging, fuelled the flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfed the area. Fire tenders had to make repeated trips to refill water, slowing operations. A fireman said multiple cabins inside the building hampered efforts to douse the flames. "There are multiple cabins on the first and second floor rented out to different businesses...As we sprayed water, it could not reach all areas due to obstructions, making the fire difficult to control," he said. Police personnel from multiple stations struggled to disperse onlookers, and the area could be fully cordoned off only by 4 pm, nearly three hours after the fire broke out. The worst affected was Sera Photo Store, which had recently been renovated. Workers said the owner had invested crores in new camera equipment, most of which was destroyed in the blaze. Power supply to the entire market was snapped and shopkeepers shut their establishments as the fire spread. Roads leading to Sector 22 were closed, triggering traffic jams, with long queues seen towards Sectors 17, 16 and 23....