Chandigarh, Aug. 27 -- A massive fire broke out at a ready-made garments showroom in Sector 20-C, Chandigarh, on late Monday night, reducing goods worth nearly Rs.1.5 crore to ashes. The blaze, which started around 10 pm on Monday, was finally doused after an extensive 19-hour-long firefighting operation that involved 38 fire tenders. According to officials, the fire originated on the ground floor of the three-storey Bimla Traders showroom, and quickly spread to the upper floors due to the highly flammable fabric stored inside. Within hours, stock on all three floors was destroyed. Gulshan Kalra, Fire Station officer of Industrial Area said, "At the time of receiving the intimation, the shutters of the showroom were down and secured with heavy iron grills, both at the front and the backside. Our team had to call in a JCB machine to break open the grills to gain entry. The staircase leading to the upper floors was completely choked with stock, most of it highly combustible material, which made it impossible for us to climb inside. Thick smoke had engulfed the entire building, making visibility near zero and creating a high risk of suffocation for the firefighters." During the firefighting operation, Mohan, a firefighter posted at the Industrial Area, Phase-1 station, sustained serious injuries when a glass sheet fell on his hand. He was immediately rushed to GMCH-32, where he received multiple stitches. Five fire tenders from Sector-32, Industrial Area, Ram Darbar, and Sector-17 stations were deployed and the fire was brought fully under control only by 7 pm on Tuesday evening. Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit, though police said CCTV footage is being reviewed to ascertain the exact cause. At the time of filing the report, firefighters were still inspecting the building to ensure no smoke or hidden embers remained inside, as the extensive stock of garments posed a risk of the firereigniting....