New Auriga Complex on the Main Boulevard in Lahore caught heavy fire Friday night at around 7:00 PM, which houses the head office of Wateen Telecom, resulting into fatal destruction of the head office infrastructure, call center, network hub and the building.
Tragedy caused an estimated loss of Rs. 2 billion to the company.
TV Reports said that as many as 10 fire brigade vehicles were engaged to fight the fire that were unable to fully control it till late night.
Initial reports are suggesting that fire erupted due to short-circuit of a generator, but company said that the cause of the fire remains to be ascertained, and investigations are pending as to where and how it started.
Wateen said that there were 100 employees at the office when fire broke out. Reportedly, company staff immediately contacted the fire department and Rescue Services, and while waiting valiantly attempted to put out the fire. However, despite their best efforts the fire spread quickly to engulf the third and fourth floors of the building.
Company employees were evacuated quickly and the utmost efforts were made to also help evacuate other tenants of the building.
Mr. Naeem Zamindar, Wateen CEO, as well as other members of the management rushed to the scene to ensure that all employees were safe. Speaking with members of the media, Mr Zamindar said, “Our first and foremost concern was to ensure that everyone present in the building was safe and accounted for. This not only included Wateen employees, but also other tenants in the building. We are thankful that there was no loss of life and that everyone was safely evacuated.”
“Wateen Telecom has in place several network redundancies that automatically kick-in in the event of an emergency. Moreover, the company has alternate arrangements for the customer care helpline. Our data and enterprise customers will not be materially affected as our data warehousing and networking facilities are located elsewhere. We are therefore confident that our customers will not suffer loss of quality and that our services will continue as normal.”
Mr. Zamindar added that other telecom operators have rallied to the telecom giant’s support, providing infrastructure and office support to ensure that business goes on as usual. Abu Dhabi Group has assured that all the required support will be made available including leveraging existing infrastructure facilities of the Group companies.
Now what? New head office for new Wateen?
very very sad news. Thanks God that all employees are safe.
Wateen Telecom is the best best employer in the world. This is really very sad news that our office our house got fire..
May ALLAH bless Wateen Telecom with all the members especially the management team and all other staff members…
thats good
aisa hona he tha jab tum dosro ka haq maro gay itna to aisa he badla milay ga khushi howi kay koi jaani numqsaan nahi howa
Arsalan: Haq mara tumhara wateen ne ? aur Aag lagne se kia howa kuch nae howa insurance hota hai issliye kuch farq nae parega aap apna dil bila wajah khush kar rahay ho!
Arsalan,
Ap ky free Internet ka haq jo Wateen ny promise kia hoga? Hamari society mai kisi ky khadday mai girny par hansny walay bohat hotay hain, aksar wo khud girty hain to bohat rotay hain.
i am feeling that its a plot against them
That’s really a very sad incident indeed. No doubt Wateen Telecom is the best employer & the best services provider of the region…. Hope the company can quickly recover from this loss & rebuilds even a better HO.
very sad, hope everyone is safe there
Bohot acha k office damage ho gaya aur koi jani nuqsaan be nai huwa. Wateen k sath aysa hi hona chai yea.
Breif overview- Wateen did an illegal contract with dha lahore not to allow any other services like ptcl etc in Phases 5-8 to operate their for at least 30 years. People living their are forced to use wateen poor services due to no other options available. Shukar hai Competiton Commision Pakistan took action fined both Wateen and DHA.
Dear Amjad do you know that worldcall has an contract with CDA that no other company is to be allow for laying of optical fiber network in Islamabad if wateen did so than what is the problem
only wateen has the capability to facilitate their customer in disaster as wateen proved during flood for availability of its network.
incredible! Ask yourself why only 3rd and 4th floor? Why after working hours? At least they have the humanity that they wanted it done without human lives lost. More than one and half yr passed with new management for Abu dhabi group and no result!
[Comment Edited]
https://propakistani.pk/2010/06/07/wateen-is-likely-to-fire-40-percent-managers/
When 650 employees were kicked out in a mint…. some one defiantly said ” Allaha is watching ” Yes Allaha is Watching
:) seems like they hired some audit officers from Government Departments :) /
Azaab arraha hay Abu Dhabi Group pey. Kicking out people for no reason, hiring _______ and promising success when no light can be seen by hiring rejects from MCB, who commad millions of dollars salary and havent delivered in more than a year!!!!! Azaab!
Sure shot planned incident. Even if they get all 22 million dollars from Insurance, the bigger picture is that the Incompetent Abu Dhabi Group management gets both sympathy and time. Please someone tell me what did they achieve in more than one year????? What turnaround? What revolution? What new thing did they bring to the table?
[Comment Edited]
u r right kamran…its all planned…i was in the building at this time and all employees are laughing when they saw they are successful in burning fire….:)
Message from Sheikh Mubarik Al Nahyan
Guys This is the time to be Unite, I am with You, God is with us. So nothing to be worried about, Keep your spirit High
very sad news, but wateen is the best company which providing excellent service or internet in pakistan & it also have ever good packegs 2….
What made Wateen boys think they can control fire and wait for an hour to report it? They might have some very angry shopkeepers below them now: first they provide lousy service now they cause losses!
Karma Kami Saab, this is not $22m loss this is more than that! The question is there some insurance claim to get a nice payment from and maybe ADG to wash its hands from here? Wateen always needed money so good time to claim it! I agree sir that they defanately achieved this milestone in 1 year…they burnt the office down!
Mahfooz bhai this is a spoof message from him so lets be honest plz this sounds very suspicious and the oldest trick in the book for foreign investors. To me this disaster recovery backup is a short term fix to buy time and get a nice check from insurance…
very sad news, we hope that wateen will b back soon as the best company in pakistan.our wishes n prayer r wid wateen CEO n team.
Its very sad news,
I dont know what is the reality, if it is a plan or accident but it is sad…..
Every company / Service have good and bad points….also PTCL DSL have….but …
It is not a good thing to laugh when some ones house is burning….
hope that they will do their best to make their service better…..
Message from CEO
Bad things happen. But our commitment to our customers and quality of service is as strong as ever. WE ARE UP!
Wateen Head Office Under Fatal Fire, Burnt to Ashes but only Holy Quran, Beshak Allah nay is ki Hifazat ki Zimma lia hay. we are not able. Trust me.
Sad Sad news but i am so proud of my company… inshaALLAH we will come out of this as well..
I was there yesterday at McDonalds and walked to new Origa just to checkout the burned down place.
The local shop keepers of ground floor, many of whom I can recognize since I go there with family for shopping often, were saying it was intentional fire on the 4th floor because there were 2 earlier incidents where the automated anti-fire system kicked in the datacenter of Wateen and put off the fire in the center of the datacenter.
I also remember in the start of Jan I was in New Origa for shopping with family where shopkeepers were talking about how Wateen is wrapping up and planning to leave in few weeks.
One of my coworker’s father has an office on 1st floor (or should I say HAD) and he also confirms the reports that the fire was intentional and there were two earlier incidents of small fire in Wateen premises where it was put off by the anti-fire water nosels
So it all may not be a coincidence after all, just saying
I have no comments to justify it, but it was true!! Nothing intentional!!
and this is the reality!
but why they stop their services in karim park ,i was customer since 4 years. and today they have stopped my internet services without any notice.
I am thinking that i should file case against them stupid.
Regards,
imtiaz razzaq
+97455499240