Lahore [Pakistan], January 24 (ANI): At least three people were killed after a fire broke out at a hotel in Lahore's Gulberg area, rescue officials said, according to Dawn.

Punjab Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said the blaze at the Indigo Hotel claimed the lives of three individuals. The victims were identified as Shehreyar, around 25 years old, Imran, around 30 years old, and Riaz, also around 30 years old, he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif shared multiple updates related to the incident on X as rescue and evacuation efforts continued, Dawn reported.

She also posted a video message by Rescue 1122 Director General Rizwan Naseer, who described the operation as 'difficult', noting that the hotel had 21 floors, including three levels below ground. He said a boiler located in the basement was being heated using LPG cylinders, where the fire originated.

According to Naseer, hotel staff initially attempted to extinguish the fire themselves before rescue services were alerted. He said Rescue 1122 received the emergency call around 12:25 p.m. and that rescue teams faced extreme heat and smoke while entering the basement, Dawn reported.

Earlier, the Chief Minister said she was monitoring evacuation and rescue efforts through the Safe City drone system. She described the incident as 'severe' and attributed it to the 'explosion of the air-conditioning system boiler'.

'Strict directives have been issued: All commercial boiler and cylinder installations across Punjab must fully comply with safety standards. Any premises found compromising public safety will be sealed immediately, without exception,' she said.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns over fire safety in Pakistan, following a deadly blaze at a shopping mall in Karachi that has claimed at least 71 lives so far, according to Dawn.

Earlier this week, the Punjab government gave stakeholders a two-week deadline to implement standard operating procedures in plazas, schools and hospitals following the Gul Plaza inferno.

'A building grading system has now been introduced across the province, under which safe buildings will be categorised as A-grade, while others will be graded according to their condition. The firefighting sector is being upgraded with modern technology, drones and state-of-the-art equipment,' Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said at a press conference in Lahore. (ANI)