A day after a major fire tore through the mobile market in Sector 22, the affected traders returned to sift through charred stocks, waterlogged showrooms and what remained of their livelihoods.

Walls of the affected SCOs covered in soot a day after the major fire at the Sector-22 Mobile Market in Chandigarh. (Keshav Singh/HT)

But the losses were not theirs alone. Even mobile phones left by customers for repair and wedding albums ready for delivery lay gutted or soaked beyond use, destroying precious data and memories.

While a short-circuit is suspected to have caused the fire that gutted SCOs 1024 and 1025, the total losses are estimated to run into crores.

While the blaze had raged through the first and second floors of the three-storey SCOs on Wednesday, the ground floors also revealed extensive damage and pools of hazardous water left behind after the firefighting operation, which had also seeped into walls and goods, compounding the damage.

Walls were covered in soot, water dripped from ceilings, and mobile phones, accessories and costly photographic equipment lay in a ruined state.

Onlookers watched curiously as traders stared at their losses. Customers, too, continued to arrive, making frantic inquiries about their mobile phones given for repair. Most left disappointed after learning that their prized possessions were either burnt or rendered unusable due to water damage.

Police from the Sector 17 police station cordoned off the SCOs with ropes and barricades as smoke continued to emanate from the upper floors. However, shopkeepers were seen removing the ropes and entering the premises through the day, despite concerns over the safety of the structure.

“We will ensure no business activity takes place there. The Estate Office will take a call on whether the structure is to be declared unsafe,” said inspector Rohit Kumar, SHO of the Sector 17 police station.

Deputy commissioner and UT estate officer Nishant Kumar Yadav said a team from the Estate Office would inspect the building for structural safety and any violations, and action would be taken accordingly.