Lucknow: Panic gripped the Khurram Nagar area on Friday afternoon after a blast triggered a massive fire at a restaurant operating inside a petrol pump premises. No casualties were reported in the incident.Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud explosion before flames rapidly engulfed the restaurant. While preliminary findings point to an AC compressor explosion as the likely cause of the blaze, officials said the exact cause is still under investigation.The blaze sparked panic in the busy locality, with thick smoke and towering flames visible from a distance. The restaurant was situated barely 15 metres from the petrol storage area, raising fears of a catastrophic explosion had the fire spread to the fuel station.Two fire tenders from the Indira Nagar Fire Station and another from the BKT Fire Station rushed to the spot and launched an intensive firefighting operation. Staff members of a nearby private hospital also joined the rescue efforts.According to the restaurant owner, Ravish Kumar, the eatery had been operating for around three months but remained closed for the past five to seven days. Fire officials said the closure likely prevented injuries or fatalities, as the restaurant would normally have had staff and customers present.Chief fire officer Ankush Mittal said the fire department received information about the blaze at 4.25 pm and immediately pressed two fire tenders into service.
