Part of market reduced to ashes in Nowshera

NOWSHERA: Part of a commercial market was reduced to ashes by fire after rescue services refused to extinguish the fire here on Monday.

The fire broke out in Falak Niaz cosmetics market, in Shireen Kothay, Risalpur, due to short-circuiting in two shops belonging to Khalid Khan and Hamid Khan. However, the Rescue 1122 Mardan refused to attend the fire scene, saying that the fire scene is out of their jurisdiction advising the callers to contact Nowshera emergency services.

The desperate shop owners then called Nowshera emergency services but were left baffled after they also refused to serve the area for the same reason. The delay caused by the dispute between the two services, however, resulted in the two shops being reduced to rubbles, depriving the owners of their hard-earned lifetime savings.

A fire-engine of Mardan rescue services did turn up at the scene but it was too late by then. The affectees demanded the government for compensation for the damages caused by the inaction of the emergency services. This correspondent tried to contact Rescue 1122 for their version but their phone lines remained busy.